Awaken
by Stormhawk fan SHhype
Summary: Code Geass fantasy/steampunk AU - The Britannian Empire stands as the greatest power in the world, few can defy it's mighty armies. Not even the proud and spiritual clans of the Isles of Japan, who even now suffer from years of unremitting war. Nature however, always finds a balance. Within the Empire, a spirit of war is awakening, and chaos, follows in her wake
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to**

 **GREETINGS ALL, and yes I know what your thinking**

 **'Stormhawk fan, what are you doing over here in the Code Geass section?'**

 **Well truth be told, I've been wanting to do a Code Geass story for a while now, and I just recently got a nice bit of inspiration from a certain League of Legends cinematic, which is what this story is named after actually. If you haven't checked out the cinematic, head over to LoL's YouTube channel, should be up there, and you'll see just what I mean when I say its FANTASTIC**

 **But, back to the matter at hand**

 **I was planning on writing the next chapter for 'The Storm and the Hawk' but after watching that cinematic, this idea came to life in my head, and I knew I just HAD to do it. I don't plan on updating this one too often at the moment as I have two other stories to get done and I REALLY want to finish them, so this is probably all your getting for a while on this one. It's also not that long, but it is action packed, so I hope you guys enjoy it, and once I've finished at least one of my other active stories, I'll begin updating this one, or whenever I hit a bit of writers block on the other two**

 **Just as a general note, all characters in this story have been born into this world, there are no crossovers involved. Instead, any non-cannon Code Geass characters you spot are OC's who have been _inspired_ by characters from other things, there is one such character in this chapter and he's very easy to spot. Other than that, I will be sticking to Kannon (whoops) _cannon_ , Code Geass characters for the most part. Also, like the summary says, this is a fantasy/steampunk AU for Code Geass, so expect magic, beasts (both mythological and otherwise), as well as _some_ mechs, but I'm not going too heavy on that, demons, spirits, etc**

 **Finally, I would like to state that this is my first M rated story. Mainly this is going to be for the blood and gore at the start, I don't know if I'm going to do any lemon later on, but there will most definitely be shipping, and _maybe_ some saucy moments as well**

 **But, enough of me rambling, let's get started**

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, dear readers all. SHhype productions proudly presents...**

* * *

 _ **Awaken**_

 **Chapter 1: Chained Wolf**

Kallen sat in the dingy room, light filtering from the surface through high windows, which looked out onto the fate of those in the room. Through the window could be seen the bright colours, and raucous noise that were the hallmarks of an Arena event in full swing. Beside Kallen were others like her, slaves, sentenced to die in the Arena for the amusement of their betters. This wasn't Kallen's first visit to the Arena, she'd come here as a little girl when the family had all gone to see the games. Of course, Kallen was only brought along because her half-sister and charge had begged their father to bring her. Back then, Kallen had wanted nothing more than to be in the place of the champion they'd watched, as he struck down his opponent to the roar of the crowd. For the Arena was the one of the few ways in which a slave could rise, and oh how Kallen wished to rise, how she wished to see her noble father's face, as she ascended through the ranks of the Arena, won her freedom, and became a full citizen. At which point, he'd be unable to deny her any longer

This wasn't exactly how she had imagined her career as a gladiator would begin

She'd had it all planned out perfectly too. Contrary to belief, she was a very intelligent young woman, and while sitting in on her half-sibling's lessons, she had absorbed ever iota of knowledge that her siblings had taken for granted. So while normal slaves were unable to read and write, Kallen could, and knew the numbers, symbols and various other academic details that would have made her wasted in the flesh markets. This bought her time, and rather than be sold after turning fifteen, her father kept her, which allowed Kallen to pursue phase two of her plan. This had involved tricking her two half-brothers into sparring with her, and making them think it was their idea. Of course, she let them think they were the absolute best; it wouldn't do to draw attention by kicking their asses. Even so, despite her caution, father found out eventually, and when he did, he was furious. Kallen could hardly believe that three days ago, she had floored her father, and no less than half a dozen house guards, before they'd finally managed to subdue her, but that is what happened. When Kallen's father discovered what she'd been up to, he'd immediately forbade her from fighting anymore

Of course Kallen refused, and declared her intentions, it had been a stupid move, because of course, father would never let her. He'd reminded her that she was nothing but a slave, she didn't get to decide her future, _he_ did. Kallen had snapped, punching the man in the gut, surprising him with her strength. The house guard had pounced instantly, rushing to their lord's defence. Kallen had taken them all on, and though their numbers finally overwhelmed her, she took six with her before they succeeded. Kallen's mother had begged Kallen's father for mercy, but her father was beyond listening, he declared that if Kallen wanted to fight so badly, then she'd get her wish... and now, here she was, exactly where she wanted to be. Instead of becoming a gladiator though, she was now just a sacrificial lamb, to be led to slaughter

She looked back up at the window as a cheer echoed from it, _their getting ready to begin_. Around her she could hear other slaves whimpering, or praying, others were simply silent, staring straight ahead, their eyes appearing dead, lifeless, with only the rise and fall of their chests betraying the fact that they still lived.

Kallen looked down at where she was fingering a small charm that hung around her neck. Her mother had given it to her when she was little, saying that it was a good luck charm. According to her, certain spirits were supposed to provide good luck to the worthy, back in her mother's homeland. Oh how Kallen wished to see it, to hear her mother talk about it, you'd have thought it paradise. As Kallen held the charm, she sent up a silent prayer. _Spirits of my mother's homeland, if you can hear me, if you know me, grant me the strength to win this day, let me be one of the last standing, please_

Kallen was broken from her thoughts by the sound of doors opening and boots stomping, before several armed guards entered the room, followed by the Arena Master. "Alright on your feet, time to go meet your makers," the Arena Master yelled out. Kallen, along with many others climbed to their feet, even as terror griped Kallen tight

 _This is it, time to fight_. Other slaves who weren't quick enough, or outright refused to move, were hauled to their feet by the guards. They were pushed into two lines, side by side, Kallen ended up getting placed next to a giant of a man. His skin was dark, almost black, and his head was clean of any hair, upon his forehead was a tribal tattoo of some sort, and every limb was bulging with muscle. Then they were marched forward, as they reached the door to the room, manacles were placed on each pair, linking them together, before they were sent marching down the corridor, ending up in front of a door which led out onto the Arena floor. Outside, Kallen could hear the chanting and cheering of the crowd, as well as see movement on the other side of the door, through the small gaps

Kallen was pulled from her thoughts by a voice beside her, "Are you scared little wolf?"

Kallen looked towards the dark skinned man she was now shackled to, he didn't look at her, just stared straight ahead, in his eyes, she saw determination, and confidence, she rather wish she shared it. She turned back to face the door, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," she began, "But you don't have to worry, I won't try to run and hide."

"Good, stay on your toes out there, follow my lead, and we will live through this little wolf," the man replied

Kallen glanced at him again, "What's with this 'little wolf' thing?"

The man chuckled, "You remind me of a wolf I once got into a scrap with back in my homeland, I wasn't much older than you when it happened. Beast had corned me inside a cave, but I'd found a ledge it couldn't reach, classic standoff. We stared at each other for hours in that cave, neither one of us willing to back down."

Now Kallen was staring at him, "And how did you get out of that?"

He now gave a grim smile, "Turns out that cave belonged to a bear, the beast wandered back in and attacked the wolf. I went to make good my escape, but something pulled me back, and I realised the spirits would be displeased if I left the wolf to die. So I turned around and attacked the bear." Kallen's mouth was open in shock and awe, "Me and that wolf brought the bear down together, and we dined on bear meat that night, we parted the next morning as unlikely friends."

Kallen shook her head, trying to dispel her shock, "And how exactly do I remind you of that wolf?"

Now the man looked at her for the first time, "It's your eyes mainly, the eyes of a hunter, the way they stayed focused, even when everyone around you was lost in their own grief and hopelessness. It reminded me of that stare down I had with that wolf in the cave," he gave a twitch of a smile as he spoke. "So what say you, 'little wolf', shall we dine on bear meat tonight?"

Kallen now smirked, "Hell yes," she replied, nodding, "And the name's Kallen."

The man also smirked, "Teal'c, of the Jaffa clan."

Kallen smiled and nodded, before her eyes were drawn to the front by the voice of the Arena announcer, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the opening ceremonies for today's games, shall... BEGIN!"

At his words, the large doors in front of them opened, and the slaves were pushed forward into the waiting arms of the gladiators. The disparity between the two was huge; there were thirty slaves in total, making fifteen pairs each, while there was only half that number of gladiators, making a pair of slaves for each gladiator. However, while the gladiators were armed with swords, spears, maces, axes and clubs, and clad in thick leather armour, that only exposed certain areas of the body, depending on the type of gladiator, the slaves were unarmed, chained to their partner, and dressed only in thin cloth tunics. It would be a miracle if any of the slaves survived this fight, and yet that was the goal. The gladiators had to kill as many slaves as they could within the next thirty minutes, while the slaves simply had to survive, any slave that did, would become a gladiator in turn, but the chances of that happening were slim to none

This was emphasised by the first gladiator in front of the door, a hulk of a man, in almost full leather armour, a metal helmet and left hand gauntlet, wielding a vicious looking chain mace in the other. As the slaves burst from the door, the mace wielder whirled the weapon above his head, and smashed it against the skulls of the first pair, who dropped like stones. Two pairs got passed him, but fell afoul of the gladiators waiting beyond, meanwhile Kallen felt herself get pulled to the left, she quickly ducked another swing of the mace, and used the movement to follow Teal'c. They soon found themselves out of range of the mace wielder, but were now faced with a new opponent. The gladiator in front of them wore no helmet, but his arm guard reached all the way to his shoulder, and he even had a partial chest piece for his left side. He wore a loincloth held by a wide belt and wielded a spear and net

As his first move, he attempted to entangle their feet in the net, but to his surprise, Teal'c caught the net, and began wrapping it around his hand. Taking advantage of Teal'c's distraction, the gladiator jabbed his spear forward, attempting to take Teal'c in the neck, Kallen however, rushed forward, and batted the spear aside. As the gladiator attempted to recover his stance and weapon, Teal'c pulled hard on the net, causing the gladiator to stumble forward, as he'd forgotten to drop it. Kallen delivered a solid punch to the man's gut, winding him, and causing him to drop the spear, which Teal'c proceeded to pick up himself as he rid the net from his hand. Just as the gladiator was recovering, Teal'c shoved the spear tip through the man's throat, while Kallen drew the man's sword from its sheath. Their kill was met with a roar of approval from the crowd, who cared not who died, so long as blood stained the sand at the fighter's feet

As the two stood, taking a moment to recover, Kallen's eyes scanned the crowd; it did not take her long to find her father, who was standing near the Arena edge. Around him was his family, but held at his side, was Kallen's mother, her face terror stricken and streaked with tears. Kallen twirled the blade she now held in her hand, its weight comforting, now she was armed, and her chances had just gone up, something that clearly irked her father, if his scowl was anything to go by. She then brought her eyes back to the arena. Most of the slaves were now dead, not including her and Teal'c, there were only about half a dozen pairs left, and only one other had managed to arm themselves. To her surprise though, of the fifteen gladiators who had begun the fight, only nine now remained, which meant that either there'd been some collateral, or the other armed pair had been busy. Movement then caught Kallen's eye, and she saw, the massive mace wielder stomping in their direction

Unlike their last opponent, his entire body was almost completely covered in leather armour, and while Teal'c's spear had greater reach than the mace, he would need accuracy to actually do any real damage. Meanwhile Kallen would have to get in close to use her short blade, which meant putting herself right into the danger zone, while one direct hit from the mace for either of them would be almost certainly fatal.

"Stay on your toes little wolf, keep out of reach of that mace," Teal'c advised

Kallen merely nodded in response, as she assumed a ready stance, and Teal'c did the same beside her. The mace wielder closed the distance to them, and swung the mace in an overhand strike. The two of them dodged to the side, as they came out of the dodge, Teal'c jabbed at the man with the spear, while Kallen darted forward and swung with her blade, both trying to get at the man's weak spots. The gladiator responded, by taking the blows on the thickest part of his armour, even swiping his metal gauntlet at Kallen, forcing her to back off. Then he brought up the mace again, swinging in an arc over his head, intending to smash their skulls like he had the first pair of slaves. Kallen ducked back, staying out of reach, while Teal'c attempted to slow the gladiator down, with precise jabs of the spear at the man's legs which were not nearly as well protected, Kallen noticed, having only a pair of shin guards and sandals. Kallen glanced at Teal'c who just nodded in response, as the gladiator wound up for another swing, Teal'c stepped forward, jabbing at the man's helmet, trying to get his spear between the gaps for the eyes and where the helmet met the neck

The gladiator reacted defensively to the attack, allowing Kallen the window she needed to duck down towards the man's legs, and hamstring him. The gladiator gave a cry of pain, as he was forced down to one knee. He swung wildly at Kallen with his gauntlet hand, but this time, Kallen did not back down, as he expected her too. Instead, Kallen met the hand with her blade, aiming for the wrist joint, the blade biting straight into the gap, and causing the gladiator to scream in agony, while a small spatter of blood scattered across Kallen's face. Teal'c now took out the gladiator's other leg, while Kallen wrenched her blade from the gauntlet, almost completely severing the hand from the wrist in the process. Around them the crowd cheered, and Kallen could hear the closest members of it, baying for the gladiator's blood. Kallen looked to Teal'c, but the man had taken a step back, as he gestured to the fallen gladiator. Kallen understood instantly, Teal'c had already taken a kill, now it was Kallen's turn

She gave the gladiator a pitying look, "Sorry," she said quietly, before ramming the point of her blade through the front of the helmet. A roar of approval filled the arena, as a larger splatter of blood, decorated the grey tunic Kallen wore, with a few more drops reaching her face. Kallen yanked the blade free, and the gladiator toppled to the ground with a thud. Kallen stood there panting for several moments, she'd killed a man, not just injured, not just laid out on the floor, actually _killed_. A part of her felt sick, but another part sang, it sang in time with the chanting of the arena crowd, in time with the blood pounding in her ears

 _Is this what it feels like, to fight, to kill, and to be praised doing it?_

Kallen had little time to process that thought as Teal'c's voice broke her from her reverie, "Kallen!"

Kallen turned, and found that they were now one of the few left, the only other pair of slaves left besides them, were the ones who had armed themselves, the rest were dead, but clearly, the slaves had also taken their toll on the gladiators, as only six now remained. Of those six, three were advancing on the only other remaining pair of slaves, one of whom looked to be in a bad way. The other three, were heading Kallen and Teal'c's way. The leader was a duel blade wielder, who looked quite agitated as he strode over to them. Before he could reach them however, a horn blew, and Kallen felt a sense of relief fill her. It was over, the thirty minutes were up, they'd survived. The duel wielder stamped a foot in anger, before proceeding to stab the corpse at his feet, leaving both swords embedded in it. He then straightened and looked Kallen straight in the eye. Kallen stared straight back, memorizing every detail of the helmet he wore, knowing she had likely made an enemy already, though how she had done so, still eluded her

Movement then caught her eye, as a figure rose from the VIP box on one side of the arena, all eyes turned towards the figure. He was tall, with blond hair, and handsome features, eyes a darkish blue, or perhaps purple. He wore a flowing white robe, decorated with gold and purple highlights, and as he raised a hand, the crowd silenced. Then a cultured, urbane voice rang out over the arena, "Citizens of Pendragon, I give you, you're Victors!" he called out. At his words, the crowd cheered, the sound deafening as it reverberated around the arena. Kallen suddenly felt her left arm get tugged upwards, and saw Teal'c had raised his arms to the crowd, and was shouting some tribal war cry, though it was drowned out by the crowd's chanting. Kallen followed his example, and raised her own arms, and she swore the crowd's cheers grew louder as she did. Kallen's mind was brought back to that day she'd watched a fight in the arena, to the day where she'd wished she could have traded places with the champion she'd watched. The day where she'd cheered along with the rest of the crowd, while the champion had soaked it all in

And now here she was, exactly where she wanted to be, soaking in the praise of the crowd, no longer a slave, she was a gladiator. She found her father's eyes once more. Beside him, her mother had collapsed to her knees, and was crying tears of joy, a broad smile on her face, while her father stared dumbfounded, before it morphed into a scowl. Kallen brought her sword down to point at the man, and the nearby crowd followed the point, soon all of them staring at him. Then Kallen moved the sword in a slicing motion in front of her throat. Her meaning was clear, and the crowd instantly started jeering her father. In response, her father's house guard closed ranks around him and his family as they began to vacate the arena. Once they were out of sight, Kallen brought her sword around and cleaved it through the chain that bound her and Teal'c together, which received another cheer from the crowd. Both of them raised their arms again, to the chanting and cheering of the crowd

This morning, Kallen had been a slave, bound and chained, selected to die. Now, she was a free of those chains, now, she was a gladiator

As Kallen revelled in the adulation of the crowd, the blond man in the VIP box turned to a dark haired younger man still seated behind him, but staring intently at the red haired slave turned gladiator. "See something you like brother?" the blond man asked

"Oh I think he does," said a blond girl next to the dark haired young man, gentle ribbing her companion

The young dark haired man ignored them, his eyes never leaving the red haired beauty below him. _Fire, fury, primal rage... maybe, just maybe_. His mind a flurry with possibilities, he hardly noticed the blond girl next to him, until she straddled him

"Milly!" he cried indignantly

"Now Lelou, if you want a new plaything, you're going to have to ask first," the girl Milly said playfully

"Oh stop teasing the poor boy Millicent," the blond man chuckled

"It's not my fault that our little Lelouch is randier than a jackrabbit, Schneizel" Milly shot back, to which Schneizel began to laugh

Lelouch frowned up at Milly, "Your one to talk Milly, with your promiscuity, I'm surprised you still _have_ your virtue." That got Schneizel to go into full blown laughter, as Milly puffed up at Lelouch, before he darted in and stole a kiss from the girl. "Don't worry, my thoughts haven't gone there yet, just thinking that she's one I want to keep an eye on... you never know after all."

That seemed to cheer Milly up, "Well, I have to say, I wouldn't mind getting a taste of that red-head's lips myself."

"Oh get a room you two," Schneizel groaned as he let them be and moved over to the announcer

As Schneizel got the next part of the games organised, Milly turned round so she was sitting in Lelouch's lap, and they were facing down into the arena. "So, you think she has potential?" Milly asked

"I do, but we'll just observe for now, you know how the arena is, every gladiator is a bright flame, they can burn hot, and they can burn bright... and they can snuff themselves out," Lelouch replied. They watched as the red head and the other fighters left the arena floor. Just as she was about to go through the doors, back into the arena catacombs, the red head turned around and looked straight at where Lelouch and Milly were sitting. Lelouch knew she couldn't see them; the awning that shaded them also shrouded them in darkness to the people below. Even so, Lelouch couldn't help but feel like she was daring them to do something. _Yes, this one has potential... great potential_

A sudden thought came to mind, "Jeremiah, that was Lord Stadtfeld she pointed at yes?"

"I believe so your highness," said a teal haired orange eyed knight standing just behind Lelouch's seat

"Find out what her connection is to him, is she just a slave he sold, or is there more going on," Lelouch commanded

"I shall assign Villetta to the task immediately my lord," Jeremiah replied, bowing, before turning to leave

"Lelou?"

"I have a hunch, I'd like to check it," he stated, as he watched the red head turn and leave the Arena floor, "Let the games begin."

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for now, let me know what you guys think, as always constructive criticism is welcome and I will see you all next time**

 **AN: The first Gladiator that Kallen and Teal'c fought was a Retiarius while the second wasn't really anything, just something I came up with on the spot. I wanted something big, scary and mean for Kallen's first kill, of which there will be many more to come**

 **P.s. Bragging points to whoever can guess the identity of the Dimachaerus (name for a duel sword wielding gladiator) seen at the end of the fight**


	2. Chapter 2

****DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to****

 ** **CURSE THIS TRAITOROUS BRAIN OF MINE!****

 ** **Hello again all, YES, I know I said I wouldn't be updating this one yet, and would instead be working on my other stories, but after writing the first chapter, this story refused to leave me the fudge alone. That, coupled with the positive early response I got to the last chapter had me torn on whether or not to do one of my other stories first, or continue this one... this one was the eventual winner****

 ** **Having said that, before we get started today, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed already, also****

 ** **ThatIndieReviewer - I have plans for every character in this story, whether cannon or not, _many plans_. As for my show/tell abilities... yea I do need practice, thanks for giving me the nudge there, I hope I made a decent enough adjustment for this chapter****

 ** **Now just to get this out of the way here. While writing this chapter, I came to a decision about Kannon (damm it not again!) _c_ _annon_ and non-cannon characters. With the exception of Kallen and two others, all named characters in the Ludus and Arena are going to be non-cannon to Code Geass, while any named characters _outside_ the Ludus and the arena will be cannon. I came to this decision because I was finding it very difficult to find unused Code Geass characters to put in the arena, so in the end just decided FUDGE IT, and started using non-cannon. This means they will either be inspired by characters from other things, or will be directly borrowed characters from other genres. I will try to make some _true_ OC's, but I rather suck at character creation, still, I'll do my best****

 ** **and that's everything for today, so...****

 ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy  
****

* * *

 **Welcome to the Ludus**

The faded green of late summer foliage surrounded the solitary building, O-fuda fluttering where they were hung, a stream trickled outside, and bird song filled the air, leaves rustling in the breeze. All was peace, all was quiet. Then a voice, broke the silence

 _Spirits of my mother's homeland, if you can hear me, if you know me, grant me the strength to win this day, let me be one of the last standing, please_

The voice echoed from the building's central shrine, silencing the sounds of nature. Once it had passed, the solitary figure sitting before the shrine sifted, gray eyes squinted against the sunlight. The hairs on his neck rose, as he felt a presence behind him. He resisted the urge to reach for his blade, which lay beside him. Around him, whispers began to echo from the forest

 _Lost_

 _Forgotten_

 _Abandoned_

 _...Anger_

 _Fury_

 _ **War**_

"If this is my doing, I shall accept any punishment you deem fit," the man called, eyes never leaving the shrine in front of him

 _Not fault_

 _Are symptom, not cause_

 _Lion's captive_

 _Caged_

 _Chained_

 _Beaten_

 _Broken_

The man's brow furrowed at the strange whispers, "A slave, of Britannia?"

 _Yes_

The man's fists clenched, "How long?"

 _From birth_

 _Born to captivity_

 _Mother was stolen_

 _Mother was abused_

 _Mother gave charm_

If anything, the man's hands clenched harder, "Where?"

 _Lion den_

 _Seat of dragon_

 _Great ring_

 _Many voices_

 _Scent of blood_

The five clues were enough for the man. With one fluid move, he stood, sword now in hand, and strode from the temple, into the early afternoon sun. From the temple's entrance, the man looked down to the forest's edge, where his troops had made camp. With long strides he rejoined them, each man and woman rising as he neared, bowing as he passed. He eventually reached the centre of the camp, where a large tent had been erected. Inside were a number of people, the two youngest bowed, while three others merely nodded

The eldest, a wizened old man, turned to him, "Tohdoh-san, what words have the spirits imparted today?"

Tohdoh bowed to his elder, before turning to the room at large, "The spirits tell of a slave of Britannia, a gladiator in the Pendragon arena."

The eye's of everyone present bulged, then the second youngest member of the group – a young man with brown hair – stepped forward, "This slave, they are one of us?"

Tohdoh nodded to the young man, "Yes, and they have a charm." Tohdoh's eyes then met his elder's, "And with it, the spirit's heard their call, Kirihara-dono."

The eyes of the man called Kirihara, widened, before narrowing, "And what good is this information to us, they are an ocean away Tohdoh-san?"

"And what if they are, if the spirit's heard their call, that makes them blood, and the Britannians have them fighting in the arena. We cannot just sit by and do nothing," declared a man with black hair

"Naoto-sama is right, we can't just leave them there to die!" cried the man next to him

"Calm yourself Ohgi-san," Tohdoh cautioned, "Kirihara-dono is right, there is little we can do with an ocean between us and them." The tent's occupants deflated slightly at the words, "However, I do believe this to be a matter worth investigating... all in favour?"

"Aye," declared the youngest occupant, a petite girl with black hair

"Aye," declared the second youngest

"Aye!" cried both Naoto and Ohgi together

All eyes now turned to Kirihara, his tense form relaxing as he released a breath, "I' am outvoted either way... but tell me Tohdoh, who shall you send to investigate this call?"

Tohdoh did not reply, but instead turned to the far corner of the tent, where a female figure stood in the shadows. As all gazes turned towards her, she stepped into the light. She possessed a lithe build and short dark brown hair, her clothes were dark, and there was excess cloth bunched around her neck and under her chin, which could be pulled up over her face to mask her features. She carried a short blade at her side, and several round objects adorned her belt

"I, Sayoko Shinozaki, would be honoured to accept this mission, Tohdoh-sama," the woman announced

* * *

Kallen gave a blissful sigh as she settled into the Ludus baths, _warm water, privacy – at least from the men – almost luxurious_. It had been several hours since the fight in the arena, Kallen hadn't realised how much her body ached from the exertion until she'd started to relax after being brought back to the Ludus. The other female gladiators had suggested she hit the baths, both to get the blood and grime off, as well as soothe her tired muscles. She had to admit, it was just what the doctor ordered

"Enjoying yourself?"

Kallen glanced up to see one of the other female gladiators standing behind her. Kallen's cheeks flushed as she tried not to stare at the other woman's nude form, she was also a little envious of the muscles the woman was sporting. If it wasn't for the obvious feminine features, Kallen might have mistaken her for a man, she certainly had the hair for it, short and cropped

Kallen's lips twitched upwards, "I haven't had a decent wash in three days."

"Yea, I've been there," she chuckled as she stepped into the chest deep pool of steaming water. "Name's Cremisius Aclassi, but call me Krem, it's easier than the whole name" she said, arm extended towards Kallen

Kallen grasped the arm, "Kallen."

Krem's lips stretched in a smile as she took one of the scrubbers and began working it over her skin, "You fought well out there, glad _I_ decided not to go after you."

Kallen paused in reaching for her own scrubber as she turned to Krem, "Wait, you were one of the gladiators out there today?"

Krem's bulk jostled the water, her booming laugh echoing through the room, "You bet your sweet backside I was, I was the Eques with the sword. I wasn't far behind the Retiarius you and the big guy killed first, I decided I wasn't having any of that, and went for an unarmed couple of slaves, let that prick Leviticus Bradley go after you two."

Kallen's eyes near popped out of her skull, "And... your, okay... with me being here?"

Krem's mirth died away, her gaze solemn, "I'll admit, I lost a couple friends today... but that's the life we all signed up for." Her eye's found Kallen's, "This life is great, some of the best food, and finest luxuries you can imagine, just for a few hour's fighting, at the end of which, you get to hear the crowd roar your name. That said, it's a double edged blade. To earn this life, you need to kill, _and_ accept that you may _be_ killed in turn. If, by some miracle you survive long enough, you can either win or buy your freedom, but you'll still be forever changed." Krem's eyes unfocused, her words a whisper, "Gladiators can leave the arena, but the arena never leaves them."

Kallen didn't know what to say as a chill crept up her spine, in spite of the water. The sound of sloshing, finally brought Kallen's focus back to the woman in front of her, "To answer your question... yes, I' am okay with you, I accepted the risks this life came with long ago, as did my friends, just as you'll have to accept them."

Kallen nodded at that, before taking a breath, and submerging herself. She came up a moment later, flinging her hair back, before running her fingers through it. "Just realised how much of a pain this is going to be to wash after every fight," Kallen grumbled

"Maybe not," Krem replied, at Kallen's raised brow, she continued, "You're hair's as red as blood already, so I doubt you could tell the difference, it's kinda intimidating actually."

"You think?" Kallen asked, her face flushing slightly

Krem nodded, "Yea, normally I'd suggest wearing a helmet, but you might want to go without, bright colours tend to distract, could be useful during a fight. Course, you then run the risk that your face and neck are unprotected, but it's your choice."

Kallen blinked as the thought crossed her mind; it was certainly an option, and one that she'd have to think about, "I'll keep that in mind... and thanks."

Krem nodded back before getting back to scrubbing. The rest of the bath they talked about where Krem was from, and how she'd come to be a gladiator in the Pendragon arena. She'd apparently gotten into an altercation with some merchant, and had been given a choice, working in the salt mines, or the arena. Obvious choice, considering the salt mines was a death sentence to most slaves. As they talked, a number of other female gladiators entered the baths, apart from a word of greeting, they kept to themselves, and the groups they'd already formed. The odd smile and kind word they gave to Kallen though, reassured her that she was welcome

After the bath, Krem showed her around

The Pendragon Ludus was a large building that sat just across from the Arena; underground tunnels connected the two buildings. The Ludus consisted of a large central courtyard, surrounded on three sides by the buildings various facilities, which included the gladiator's dormitories, the armoury, the baths, the mess hall, and finally the offices of the Ludus master and his assistants. The fourth side was a tall wall that blocked vision into the Ludus, to prevent gawkers, with two large wooden doors at its centre. The central courtyard doubled as both the practice ground, and the exercise yard, various combat dummies and other training equipment were arranged throughout the area

The tour ended in the mess hall, where they found Teal'c in an arm wrestle with another gladiator, a big guy, with almost as many muscles as Teal'c. To Kallen's amusement however, while Teal'c's opponent was straining, Teal'c himself hadn't even broken a sweat yet. His arm unmoving from its upright position

Krem's amused rumble came from beside her, "Never seen someone hold up so well against Darius before."

Kallen's face stretched in a grin, "Hey Teal'c!" she called. Teal'c glanced up at her; his arm moved a couple of inches to the right, as Darius took advantage of Teal'c's divided focus. "Stop playing with him," Kallen finished

Teal'c's own face split, white teeth gleaming, before he slammed his arm to the left. The hall filled with noise as the spectators cheered, or groaned, depending on who they'd been supporting, and Kallen saw more than a few bets exchanged

Teal'c's deep baritone carried across to Kallen as she wove her way through the crowd to his table, "A nice effort my good man, keep practicing."

"Yea, I will," Darius grumbled, as he slunk away, before being intercepted by Krem

"Ah cheer up big fella, here, on me," she said, handing the man a large mug of, _something_ , Kallen couldn't quite tell what it was, but Darius' face lit up at the sight

"Heh, thanks Krem, I owe you," he said, before downing the whole thing in one go. Once it was empty, he proceeded to slam it on a nearby table. "Ah, who's the _best_ in the Arena!" he cried

"PENDRAGON LUDUS!" came the room's roared reply

"Damm straight," Krem agreed, clasping arms with Darius

Kallen glanced at Teal'c as they observed the exchange, Teal'c just shrugged in response. It was then that Kallen noticed a figure sitting near the back, he had brown hair, and he seemed familiar. Teal'c followed her gaze, before turning back to her, "That's the only other survivor from the fight," he stated

Kallen blinked, "Wait, what happened to the other guy?"

"Died of his wounds," Krem said as she took a seat next to Kallen, "Poor bastard, stabbed through the gut, nasty way to go."

Kallen's gaze turned again to the man, though his hair was cut short, he wore a single wrap of cloth around his head. His eyes were unfocussed, his body hunched over the table he was seated at

A sudden hush came over the buzzing hall, causing Kallen's gaze to break from her study of the man at the back, and move towards the door. Another man stood there, his hair a striking auburn, with streaks of burgundy. Unlike the other gladiators, who all wore simple grey and brown tunics, this man's clothes were died a rich purple, and various pieces of gold jewellery adorned him. The hair's on Kallen's neck stood on end, as his eyes found her, even across the room, the cold stare sent shivers up her spine. Then he was moving, straight for her, in just half a dozen strides, he was standing over her, staring down, a scowl marring his face

"We meet at last, _half-blood_ ," he sneered

Kallen gulped her mouth suddenly dry. She didn't know what she'd done to piss this guy off, and was almost afraid to find out. A shadow suddenly moved over her, and her head tilted back to see Krem at her side. "Back off Luciano, save it for the Arena," she growled

Around them, Kallen noticed the other gladiator's watching them, bodies ready to spring, eyes darting between this 'Luciano', and Krem. Even Teal'c was eyeing them

"You expect me to just drop it like nothing happened?" Luciano snarled

Krem stood unmoving, her head lowered ever so slightly to look Luciano in the eye, "It's not my fault, or _hers_ , that the two of you never accepted how this might one day play out, so like I said, _back off_." Luciano's eyes darted to Kallen, before coming back to Krem, "Or do I have to send someone to fetch the Ludus master?"

Finally, Luciano's form slackened, and he took a step back, "Fine, have it your way." His gaze once again drifted to Kallen, "But if I were you, _half-blood_ , I would pray we don't end up in the arena together." With that, he stalked from the room, the other gladiators parting for him

Once he'd left, Kallen released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Who was that?" came Teal'c's rumble

"Luciano Bradley," Krem replied as she retook her seat

Kallen hardly noticed the kitchen staff set food on their table, as what Krem said registered. "Wait, _Bradley_!?" she exclaimed

Krem nodded, her face grim, "Yea, Leviticus' younger brother. Unlike most others here, they're not slaves, they came into the Ludus one day and asked to become gladiators." Krem snatched up her fork, stabbing at her food with it, "The Ludus master didn't think much of them to begin with, but he let them try out seeing as they'd brought their own equipment, he was basically getting a pair of free fighters." Krem tore at the hunk of meat impaled on her fork, chewing thoughtfully before speaking again, "Then came their first fight, the pair of them against another pair of gladiators... and they won, no experience, no formal training, and they wiped the floor with two of the arena's best."

Kallen's eye's bulged, while one of Teal'c's brows rose, Krem chuckled, "After that, the Ludus master began taking them seriously. He gave them another fight, and they won again, and again, and again, they were unstoppable, and the crowd quickly started referring to them as 'The Bradley Brothers'." Krem swiped a mug of ale from a passing member of the kitchen staff, "Luciano is now the reigning champion of the Pendragon Arena, and Leviticus _was_ his close second." She tipped back, gulping down the ale, before slamming the mug onto the table, "Then you show up, and completely alter the balance of power here in the Ludus."

Kallen almost choked on her own food, "Me!?" she exclaimed

Krem nodded, "Teal'c here may have helped you, but you were the one to bring Leviticus down first, and you were the one to deal the killing blow."

"And Luciano sees it as a personal challenge, not to mention he just lost his brother," Teal'c added

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Krem acknowledged

Kallen's hands began shaking; in fact, her whole body had begun to tremble, while her stomach churned. Suddenly, a hand clapped against her left shoulder, she tilted her head back to see Darius had returned, "Don't worry so much, Luciano isn't allowed to touch you outside of the arena."

Another gladiator gave a bark of laughter, "If he did, he'd end up paying for you, he won't want to do that." This was followed by a chorus of laughter from around the room

As it died down, Krem shoulder nudged Kallen, "Don't worry Red, we got your back, we've had to put up with boot licking Luciano and his brother for so long, it's good to see him getting a taste of their own medicine.

Kallen's trembling lessened at her words, her lips twitched in a small smile, before returning to her food. As she did, she noticed the brown haired man with the cloth headband looking at her. Their eyes met for a heartbeat, before the man returned to his own food. Kallen's brow furrowed, before resuming her own meal

 _Seems like this life is a lot more complex than I thought... still, I've made it this far... may as well see it through_

After dinner, everyone retired for the night, Kallen had been billeted with Krem in the female gladiator's dorms. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, but as Kallen sank into the mattress, pulling the warm blanket over her, she reflected that it was far better than the lumpy bedrolls she and her mother had slept on. That her mother _still_ slept on

As her eyes grew heavy, Kallen made a promise to herself, _I'm going to win my freedom one day, and save up every last gold piece I earn along the way. Then, I'm going to buy mom's freedom, and we're going to head home, back to mom's homeland. No matter what it takes..._

* * *

Across the city, Lelouch was reading some reports, the solitary candle in front of him flickering in the light evening breeze. He was almost ready, everything was in place, all he needed now was a spark. A light tapping came from his door, "Enter."

The door opened, admitting a woman with blue teal hair and tanned skin, dressed in a knight's uniform. "Report," Lelouch commanded, eyes glued to the papers in front of him

"I wasn't able to acquire much information, as I was barred access to the house itself," the knight began, as her body snapped into a rigid stance before him. "From what little I was able to learn while speaking with the doorman, I learned that the girl was a slave in Lord Stadtfeld's household, but was sold to the Pendragon Ludus for the opening ceremonies, after she assaulted Lord Stadtfeld himself."

Lelouch glanced up from his reports, brow raised, "She _assaulted_ her own master, why?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, your highness, that was all I could get out of the doorman without giving away my allegiance," she replied, her form dipping slightly in supplicance

Lelouch sat back, frowning, fingers tapping a rhythm on his desk. "Very well then, we'll have to do this the hard way," he sighed, "Tell Jeremiah to have a runner sent to the Stadtfeld residence tomorrow morning to announce that I wish to meet with the master of the house."

The knight frowned herself now, "You wish us to use your name?"

Lelouch gave a small growl, "We don't have much choice, Stadtfeld looks to be keeping things under close wraps right now... but he won't ignore a chance to speak with a royal. All of the nobility are whores for prestige, we'll use that." He then turned back to his reports, "Dismissed."

"Your highness," the knight responded with a bow, before turning on her heel and leaving

A short moment after the door was closed, a pair of slender arms wrapped around Lelouch from behind, he could also feel something soft and warm pressing into his back. "Now that that's over with, come to bed dearest," Milly's melodic voice whispered, her sweet breath brushing his ear

A shiver of pleasure raced up Lelouch's spine as he glanced once more over the reports. There wasn't anything that required his immediate attention; new orders could wait till morning. He carefully put the reports away in a locked drawer, before blowing out the candle. Shrouded in darkness, he stood and captured Milly's lips with his own, before hoisting her into his arms, and walking over to their bed, the pair sinking blissfully into the satin sheets

* * *

Kallen's stomach churned as she stood rigid in front of the Ludus master, beside her stood Teal'c, and on the other side of him, the only other survivor of yesterday's big arena battle. They'd been woken up at the crack of dawn, and Kallen fiercely resisted the urge to yawn. The Ludus master, who was also the master of Pendragon's arena, sat idly in a chair in front of them, his eyes fixed on them, even as he raised a fresh apple, the crunch as he bit, only reminding the three of them that they hadn't had breakfast yet

"So," the Ludus master mumbled, bits of apple flying from between his lips, "You three are all that's left of the slaves after yesterday." He swallowed, before taking another bite, "You're a sorry looking trio aren't you?"

Kallen bristled at his comment, but had enough sense to hold her tongue, but apparently, someone didn't. "Are you kidding me, did you _see_ how many gladiators we killed yesterday!?" exclaimed the brown haired man

The Ludus master zeroed in on him, apple forgotten, "Ah yes... Tamaki, was it?"

The man known as Tamaki blinked, sweat appearing on his brow, "Y-yes master."

"Yes you did indeed kill _many_ gladiators yesterday, most of them were my very best, and earned me more gold than you've likely seen in your entire life." Kallen shuddered at the icy words, and in her periphery she saw that Tamaki had paled to the colour of curdled milk. "And now, _you_ shall have to take their place... do you understand what that means?" Tamaki was silent, "No, how about you, Shol'va?" Teal'c was likewise silent. The Ludus master now turned to Kallen, "I don't suppose you know?"

Kallen decided for boldness, "It means we have now become an investment, if we fail to meet that investment, we will be discarded, to prevent a net loss."

Tamaki and Teal'c stared at her, eyes wide, while the Ludus master simply raised a brow, "That's quite the grasp of how this system works," he stated

"My old master made the mistake of letting me sit in on his children's lessons, I took a greater interest in what they studied than they did," Kallen answered

"Did he now?" the Ludus master mused, "And then _you_ made the mistake of assaulting him."

Kallen smirked, "Wasn't going to get into the arena any other way master."

There was a moment of silence, before the Ludus master banged his free hand on the table next to him, his laughter echoing around the central courtyard, drawing several stares from training gladiators. "Now _that's_ the attitude I like to hear," the man chuckled, "What's your name girl?" he asked, tossing a fresh apple her way

Kallen caught the apple in one hand, "Kallen, master," she replied, before taking a decisive bite

The Ludus master stood, approaching her, "You're the one who killed Leviticus the other day?" Kallen nodded in response, "You have skill, I'll give you that, certainly something I could work with." He now turned to Teal'c, "And you Shol'va, you aided her?"

"Yes master," Teal'c responded, eyes staring straight ahead

"Down here, Shol'va," the Ludus master commanded. Teal'c's head dipped to look the man in the eye, "Better," he said, "I know some masters, and even some of my own peers demand a slave never makes eye contact with their betters... but you three are not slaves, not anymore... as of this day, you are gladiators... is that clear!" his voice rising at the end

"Yes sir!" the three of them responded

"Excellent, then let's begin," the Ludus master waved forward some of his assistants. Some carried measuring tools, others various documents, and pieces of parchment. "We'll start with you Tamaki," the Ludus master began, plucking a document from one of his assistants, while the measurers began working over him, getting the length of his arms, legs, his torso's circumference, and the size of his feet, all the information was noted down by other assistants. "Says here you handled an axe pretty well, is that your weapon of choice?"

Tamaki shifted as the assistants worked around him, "Not really, I was a woodcutter back home, had to know how to handle an axe proficiently, came with the job."

The Ludus master pursed his lips at this, "Hmm, still usable... alright then, have Tamaki outfitted with some medium armour, and a sturdy axe... would you prefer a shield or not?"

Tamaki took a breath as the assistants finally finished with him, "I usually wield a large two handed axe, bit unwieldy but it's got a lot of oomph to it."

"Make that a two handed axe then," the Ludus master amended. He then moved to Teal'c as the measurers, slowly sidled up to him. "For the love of the gods, he isn't going to bite," the Ludus master growled. As the measurers got to work, the Ludus master took a new parchment handed to him, "Spearman eh?"

Teal'c raised his arms as the measurers moved around him, "I was a hunter in my homeland, I wielded both light and heavy spears, light for throwing, heavy for hand to hand combat."

The Ludus master nodded, then his brow furrowed, "Don't your people usually bring large hide shields to combat?"

"Yes, every warrior makes his own when he comes of age, it is a rite of passage," Teal'c answered

"Alright then," the Ludus master turned to his assistants, "Get Teal'c a tall shield, preferably light... I assume you prefer manoeuvrability to protection?" Teal'c nodded as he relaxed his arms, "In that case... light armour, and of course a spear, we'll see about javelins or throwing spears down the line." Finally, the Ludus master turned to Kallen. Once more the assistants crowded round, Kallen's cheeks flushed as one took her torso's measurements, also taking in her bust size. The Ludus master frowned as the size was rattled off, "How do you feel about wrapping those under your armour?"

Kallen shrugged, "Doesn't bother me, whatever makes it easier for me to fight."

The Ludus master nodded, as he was once again handed a parchment, "You made good use out of that sword... where did you learn to fight?"

"Tricked my half-brothers into sparring with me, of course I always let them win, and we practiced with wooden swords," Kallen answered

Once more, Teal'c and Tamaki were staring at her, bug eyed. The Ludus master didn't bat an eye this time, "Weighted?" Kallen nodded, "Hmm, you didn't have the chance for a shield yesterday, and it was a short blade."

"I'd prefer something with a little more reach," Kallen supplied

The Ludus master nodded, "Hmm, Murmillo might do, but the shield might be too tall for you, perhaps a Parmularius..."

"I've never really fought with a shield before, and learning would mean adjusting to the new weight, my current style and tactics was developed without a shield weighing me down," Kallen stated

The Ludus master blinked, before glancing over some documents held by his assistants, "Hmm, a little unorthodox, but that's never stopped anyone before... alright, a medium set of _full_ armour for Kallen, and a long blade."

After the assistants had noted down the last of the information, the majority of them scurried off to fulfil the orders. Meanwhile, the Ludus master turned back to his three newest acquisitions, "Right, with that sorted, let's see what the three of you are _really_ made of... DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY!"

The three of them didn't even hesitate, though at the last second, Kallen remembered she still had her apple in hand. She adjusted by landing on one hand, perfectly balanced she proceeded to blast through the push ups, taking a bite of apple every now and then. Tamaki gawked at her for a second, before hurrying to catch up, while Teal'c just smirked, "Show off," he muttered under his breath

The Ludus master retook his seat as a smile split his face, _oh yes, the girl has some spunk to her_ , he thought to himself, as she effortlessly finished the twenty on one hand, before switching to the other, and repeating. _I hope she keeps this attitude... she's going to need it_

* * *

The Stadtfeld residence consisted of a large two story building, ringed by a wall that also enclosed a garden. The atrium was tastefully decorated with white marble tiling; the sound of trickling water echoed through the room from a fountain placed at the centre of the atrium's pool, and a mosaic of the god Neptune could be seen beneath the water. _Typical nobility_ , Lelouch thought to himself, as his nose wrinkled and his death glare took in the room, the thought of what Jeremiah could do with a sledgehammer in here, passing through his head

A hand rested comfortingly on his shoulder, "They won't change, just because you glare at it all, you know," Milly stated

Lelouch sighed, "I know, still, it shouldn't be like this... I know our economy is based mainly on slave labour, but at least half of all slaves in the empire are Britannian, not foreigners. Then there's the plebeian class, whose backs are also broken for all this finery," he grumbled

"Oh the wonders of a stratified economy," Jeremiah mumbled, earning him a death glare from Lelouch

Truth be told, Stadtfeld's atrium was not the worst Lelouch had seen. Other nobles took it to the point of being gaudy; each of them trying to outdo their peers, and it turned Lelouch's stomach every time. _How many innocents die every day in the mines and quarries to supply rooms like this... how many children give themselves lifelong injuries working the fields to supply the food the nobles dine on?_

His thoughts were interrupted by the return of the doorman, "My sincerest apologies your grace, my master was dealing with another matter when your runner arrived, and hasn't had a lot of time to prepare, if you'll please follow me," the man said, bowing while indicating the door he'd just arrived from

Lelouch, Milly and Jeremiah followed the man out of the atrium, they passed a number of rooms, and any people they encountered bowed as they passed. Then the doorman opened the door at the end of the corridor, leading them out into the garden. If Lelouch was being honest with himself, the garden was a lot better, simple manicured lawn, with a few easy to maintain shrubs. The only item of significant wealth in the whole area, was a statue of Jupiter, positioned in a small shrine

Lord Stadtfeld and his wife were sat at a table in the garden's centre, directly in front of the entrance to the shrine, Jupiter looking down on them from his vantage point. The doorman bowed to his master as they approached the table, "His grace, the Black Prince of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia, his betrothed, Millicent Ashford, and their knight, Sir Jeremiah Gottwald," the man introduced, before backing away

Lord Stadtfeld stood, "Your highness, this is a most unexpected pleasure," the man boomed, as he stepped forward, hand outstretched

Lelouch accepted the hand, all smiles as he replied, "My apologies for dropping in on you like this, but I find myself at a disadvantage in my personal knowledge of the nobility, I'd like to update it for the next upcoming ball."

Lord Stadtfeld waved his hand dismissively, "It's no trouble at all your grace, in fact, it's an honour to welcome you into my home... and lady Ashford, what a delight to see you again my dear, as radiant as ever."

"You are too kind Lord Stadtfeld," Milly replied, a light blush dusting her cheeks, as the man kissed the back of her hand

"Please, have a seat," Lord Stadtfeld offered, as a servant withdrew the two seats across from Lord Stadtfeld's and his wife

"Might I offer you some refreshment?" Lady Stadtfeld asked

"Tea please, if you have it," Milly replied, while Lelouch nodded in agreement

Lady Stadtfeld clapped her hands and two servants came rushing over, one held a tray, complete with cups, a sugar bowl, and teaspoons. The other carried the pot itself. As they began setting out everything, Lelouch noticed that the second servant's face looked oddly familiar. He studied her, noting the brown hair, and lithe build, as she poured the tea. Lelouch tapped out a specific rhythm on the table, which Jeremiah took note of, before turning to his host

As Lelouch and Lord Stadtfeld began their discussion about the current happenings of the nobility, and Milly did the same with Lady Stadtfeld. Jeremiah turned to the doorman, "Excuse me, but might you have facilities I could use?"

The doorman blinked, before nodding, "Yes, please follow me."

"That won't be necessary, just point me in the right direction," Jeremiah interrupted

The doorman blinked again, before giving Jeremiah his directions. Jeremiah thanked him and moved off towards the house again. Once he was out of sight, he positioned himself near the kitchens and waited. Sure enough, the servant that Lelouch had pointed out, rounded the corner, and nearly collided with Jeremiah. "Oh, please forgive me master I didn't see you there," she said quickly, dipping her head respectfully

"It's alright, truthfully, I was waiting here for you," Jeremiah stated. The servant looked up now, her eyes wide and trembling, Jeremiah also noted tenseness to her body. He chuckled, "Relax, I just want to talk."

Her body slumped slightly at his words, the tightness leaving her muscles, "Oh... what about master?"

"First, your name, and where you're from?" Jeremiah started

"Naomi, I was brought to Britannia from the Isles of Japan, master," she said, her words faltering slightly as she mentioned her home

"How long have you been in Lord Stadtfeld's service?"

"About eighteen years master," Naomi replied, her form shifting suddenly from foot to foot

"Alright... next question... do you perhaps know the slave girl who was sold from here recently to the Pendragon Ludus?"

Naomi froze, her entire body stiffened, and her head dipped down again, "I'm sorry master, but I don't."

Jeremiah frowned, "Really, you're sure?"

Naomi's voice trembled as she replied, "Yes."

Jeremiah's frown deepened, "Why don't I believe you?"

Naomi seemed to sink even further into herself, "Please master, I really must get back to my duties, I don't want to get in trouble."

"Then answer the question," Jeremiah commanded

Naomi was tensing again, glancing around her, Jeremiah was about to speak again, when a voice called down the corridor. "Naomi, could you collect the laundry from upstairs please," Jeremiah and Naomi turned to see a young woman with red hair standing at the end of the corridor; she wore a fine dress of blue and white cloth

"Yes mistress, right away mistress," Naomi replied, and scurried past the girl instantly, before Jeremiah could call her back

The young woman watched her go, before turning to Jeremiah, "The slave girl was her daughter."

Jeremiah blinked, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me sir knight, now please drop it, or my father will have you thrown out," the girl said, before turning on her heel and leaving Jeremiah alone in the corridor. _Daughter... I guess that explains why she was hesitant to speak about it, but... wait... red hair?_ The realisation hit Jeremiah like a thunderclap, _that girl had_ _ **red hair**_ _, like the slave girl's, but the slave girl is the_ _ **daughter**_ _of a slave with_ _ **brown hair**_ _, who lives in a house with a family of_ _ **red heads**_ _... except for the Lady of the house, whose hair is_ _ **black**_. Jeremiah's eyes widened as the pieces clicked, _gods above Stadtfeld!_

Jeremiah quick marched it back to Lelouch and Milly, he kept his silence while they socialised, though from Lelouch's tense expressions, he could tell his Lord loathed every minute. Only once the appointed time arrived, did Jeremiah lean in, "I hate to interrupt your majesty, but we're expected at the Dimonts home soon."

"Ah yes, thank you Jeremiah," Lelouch replied, relief shining from his eyes, "My apologies Lord Stadtfeld, we'll have to continue this another time."

"Please, anytime your majesty, my door is always open to you," Lord Stadtfeld replied

The doorman stepped forward to show them out, but Lelouch held up his hand, "Thank you, but I'm sure we can see ourselves out, we shan't take anymore of your time."

Stadtfeld nodded, as the doorman bowed, while the three of them re-entered the house and quickly made their way back to the atrium, before leaving. Outside, Lelouch's personal carriage awaited, made of simple dark wood, it appeared almost black in the sunlight, the driver jumped down as they exited the Stadtfeld residence, and opened the door for them. The three climbed in and seated, but it wasn't until they were underway, did Lelouch speak, "Well?"

Jeremiah shifted, prepping himself, "Seems Lord Stadtfeld took a few liberties with that Japanese slave he has."

"What!?" Milly exclaimed

"The servant you pointed out is the girl's mother, but of course, she has brown hair," Jeremiah stated

"And what does that prove?" Milly cut in

"For one, I've seen very few Japanese with any hair colour other than shades of brown or black, anything else is rare, if not non-existent in their population," Jeremiah began

"That's still not proof Jeremiah," Lelouch stated, "Even if the colour is rare, it can still show up from time to time."

"Perhaps," Jeremiah agreed, "But considering the servant you pointed out, has been in Lord Stadtfeld's service for roughly eighteen years, and given that is also the rough age of the red haired slave girl. I'd say the far more likely scenario, is that Lord Stadtfeld used his newly acquired Japanese slave as a source of relief, while his wife was pregnant with his sons."

The carriage was silent as Lelouch and Milly processed this information, "I hate to admit it Milly, but Jeremiah has a point."

Milly swore in a most un-lady like fashion

"So, Lord Stadtfeld buys a Japanese woman – who wouldn't have been much older than her daughter is now, if I guess her age correctly – in order to satiate his urges while his wife is unable. In the process he makes his new slave pregnant as well, and rather than dispose of the child, he keeps her..." Lelouch pondered

"That was either stupidity on his part, or the slave herself had a hand in it, perhaps her servile nature is a reflection of what she did to ensure her daughter's survival?" Jeremiah posed

"Perhaps," Lelouch agreed, "In either case, the half-blood slave grows up under the Stadtfeld roof, likely receiving a _less_ than happy childhood, and eventually goes on to assault her father, and ends up getting sold to the arena." The pieces were beginning to fall into place for Lelouch, but there were still some missing, _I'm going to need to talk to the girl myself... get her measure... if she survives her first fight that is... if not... I'll have to look for someone else_

* * *

Raucous noise echoed from the tavern, as a cloaked figure opened the door. Inside revellers were drinking and singing, or just drowning their sorrows and woes in ale. The cloaked figure spotted his reason for being here instantly, and made his way to the back, completely ignoring a severing girl who attempted to get him a seat. After arriving at his destination, the cloaked figure sat. Across from him, was a man with auburn hair, streaked with burgundy

"My Lord is most displeased with the performance of you and your brother," the cloaked figure stated

The auburn haired man glared from across the top of his mug of ale, he took one last gulp, before slamming it down. "Your _Lord_ , failed to mention the bitch could actually fight, my brother went in unprepared, and I left him to it because I assumed he'd finish her in a few minutes," the man growled

"Regardless of whose fault it is, my Lord wishes this matter resolved as soon as possible," the cloaked figure continued

The auburn man scoffed, "For that, I need her back in the arena, if I so much as touch her outside of it, the Ludus master will have my hide."

"You'll get your chance, my Lord has a plan to get her back in the arena, and soon, all he needs from you is a list of gladiators you think could take her down," the cloaked man replied

The auburn haired man sat back in thought for a moment, "Give me three days, I'll get your list... just make sure your Lord has my money ready when the bitch is dead."

"Of course... a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Bradley."

Luciano nodded, before waving to a serving girl. As she brought him a fresh mug of ale, the cloaked figure took his leave. Once Luciano was alone, nursing his ale, his mind wandered back to yesterday's fight, _It should have been easy, simple, kill some slaves, catch a couple of the competition in the crossfire, get paid for it all, with a little extra for disposing of a noble's_ **problem**. But it hadn't been that simple, and now, his brother was dead, _She'll pay, the stinking half-blood will_ _ **suffer**_ _for what she's done, whether it's by my blade, or someone else's, I won't rest until she is_ _ **DEAD**_ _!_

* * *

A bead of sweat dripped down Kallen's brow, her chest rising and falling as she stared down her opponent. She twirled the weighted wooden blade in hand, dancing lightly on the balls of her feet, before rushing in. _Strike, strike, duck, strike, lean back, block, strike_

"Argh!" Teal'c growled, a red welt already forming on his knuckles from where Kallen struck him. Kallen smirked at him as he twirled his staff above his head, going on the offensive. _Dodge left, right, right, left, down, strafe right, strike, strike, strike_

The staff clattered from Teal'c's hands as Kallen overbalanced and disarmed him, before bringing her sword to his throat, "And you're dead."

Teal'c gave her a wan smile, "You're too fast for me, can't keep up with you."

Kallen shrugged, "I suppose, but you had me on the ropes, even up close, since I couldn't match your strength. I had to use my head to find a way to get past your defences," she picked up a nearby water skin while speaking, and proceeded to pour half of it over her face, before gulping down greedily

"Indeed... but if I can offer some advice," Teal'c began. Kallen gestured for him to go on, "You're entire repertoire appears to favour offense, not a bad thing... until someone places _you_ on the back foot. If that happens, you're only recourse is to dodge, until you can find an opening to turn things around again. That'll bleed your stamina quickly, especially once you're in armour."

Kallen's brow furrowed at that, "Any suggestions?"

"Focus on your defence, if you can stand your ground while waiting for an opportunity, you'll fare much better, and switching between the two will keep your opponent on their toes," Teal'c stated as he picked his staff back up, and gestured to Kallen

She put down her water skin, and readied herself in turn. "When an opponent comes at you, try to meet the attack," as he spoke, he swung a mock attack at her. Kallen met the attack head on, "Good... again," Teal'c praised, as he twirled his staff around and brought in a second attack. Again, Kallen met the attack straight on, only having to slide her feet in place by a small amount to successfully block, "Again." another slight foot adjustment, another successful block, "Again."

They practiced for several minutes; Kallen doing her best to stay in one spot, if she ever tried to move out the way, Teal'c gave her a sharp swat with the staff. Finally, he was satisfied she knew what she was doing. "Good, you're getting it, keep at it and you'll have something else to add to your fighting style," Teal'c praised

Kallen beamed, nodding

After training, they headed for the baths to wash the sweat and dirt off, then it was time for supper. When Kallen reached the mess hall, she found Teal'c regaling their new friends with a tale from his homeland. "So there we were, having just brought down a giant elk, when who should wander in but a _cave bear_... and I was thinking to myself, _'well, there's no way we take this thing down'_ , but Rotarr, crazy bastard that he is, starts scaling a nearby tree, leaving the three of us to hold off the bear on the ground. He makes it to the top, and proceeds to jump off, coming right down on top of the bear, and driving his spear _straight_ through the beast's skull."

"No way," someone near the back cried out

"I could hardly believe it myself," Teal'c replied

"What happened after that?" Krem asked, eyes aglow

"Well, we skinned the bear and elk, and the three of us turned the bear's head into a headdress, and stuck it on Rotarr. We returned to the village, and I kid you not, the _entire_ village thought Rotarr was an _actual_ Cave bear."

The hall burst into uproarious laughter

"Rotarr was chased by our kin around the entire village, while we just stood back and laughed, served Rotarr right for making us think he'd abandoned us to the cave bear in the first place."

Kallen laughed along with everyone else, she wasn't entirely sure what a _cave_ bear was, but she got the general gist. The rest of evening was spent telling more stories over dinner. Darius entertained them with the antics he and his cousin Draven got up to back home, while Krem recounted the time when a local middle class lady thought that Krem was actually a guy and had started coming on to her

"I mean... I'm not picky when it comes to lovers," Krem said, "But that girl had some _weird_ as hell fantasies, one of which involved rope, some candles, and a _cucumber!_ "

"What was the cucumber for?" Kallen asked

Krem gave her a serious look, "Trust me Red, you _don't_ want to know," as she spoke, Krem gestured towards her backside, causing Kallen's cheeks to turn as red as her hair, while the hall burst into laughter again

Once dinner was over, it was an early night once more; Kallen lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to Krem's snores. _I could get used to this, the training, the camaraderie, all of it... just got to keep my head in the game, and I'll live through this long enough to win my freedom_. The thought brought a smile to her face, as sleep finally overcame her

* * *

 **And that's a wrap, _now will you leave me alone?_**

 **Story - nope ; P**

 **(sighs) well, I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter, for those of you who noticed, yes I did change Naoto's hair colour, this is mainly due to the fact that Stadtfeld was the father to _both_ Naoto and Kallen in cannon, but isn't in this... and I'll let you guys figure out the rest of that tidbit (snickers mischievously)**

 **Let me know what you guys think, as always constructive** ** **criticism is welcome, and I will see you next time  
****

 ** **P.s. also, what do you guys like the sound of better better, Kallen in padded Leather armour (NOT SKIN TIGHT!, get your minds out the gutter!), or scale mail?****


	3. Chapter 3

_******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to******_

 ** ** **Okay, time to write the next chapter of, 'The Storm and the Hawk'******

 ** ** **(begins writing, while dramatic music plays in background)******

 ** ** **I'm doing it, I'm doing it******

 ** ** **Yeah, yeah, yeah!******

 ** ** **and some of these, and some of these******

 ** ** **almost there and... Done******

 ** ** **(music and writing ends)******

 ** ** **whew... now let's see how it looks so far******

 ** ** **(clears throat)******

 ** ** **Awaken chapter 3...******

 ** ** **...******

 ** ** **GODS FREAKING DAMM IT LELOUCH!******

 ** ** **(Lelouch sniggers in the background, eyes glowing red)******

 ** ** **Hello all we're back, this gods dammed story won't leave me the FUDGE alone... though now that I think about it, I' am considering going up to chapter 4 with this, as people have been asking for world building and chp4 is going to be the first major block of it, before I move back to my other two******

 ** ** **with that said, let's get started on the day's essentials... first, reviews******

 ** ** **ThatIndieReviewer - Don't worry my friend, I did my reading on gladiator fights and the basic rules, and will be adhering to them... mostly... let's just say... things happen in this chapter. In fact, it would be fair to say a LOT of things happen this chapter that aren't going to be fully revealed for a while yet, case in point, that world building I mentioned. Long story short, I have a _very_ bad habit of putting all my exposition eggs in one basket, and this has done me _no_ favours in the past, so I'm trying a new strategy, one I hope works out. As far as the Era goes... there isn't really a uniform Era to this world. Britannia is a complex beast, sort of a weird fusion between late Imperial Rome and the high medieval ages. I'll go into greater detail in chp4, that's going to be my _early_ world building chapter and will contain all of the basic details, including the war between Britannia and the Isles. Today's chapter mentions a few things which we're going to come back to in the next chapter, but it's just to get the ball rolling as it were. Also, there's a third faction to this story, which get's its first mention today... remember that Steampunk flare I mentioned at the start of the first chapter... yea, that's where this third faction lies, and oh boy, do they have some _nice_ toys. We'll be meeting them later... so don't worry, world building is coming, I have a plan and am sticking to it******

 ** ** **speaking of******

 ** ** **MM Browsing - Allow me an Eris moment (clears throat) the goal is Chaos my friend, _Glorious Chaos_. Again, we're going to find some things out in chapter four that will paint a pretty dark picture for the future, and our beloved main characters are but pieces on the chess board of fate. Currently though, Lelouch is doing what Lelouch does best, making _fools_ of the nobility. As for his relationship with Milly... sorry but, betrothed only currently, not had the marriage yet, and before anyone asks, NO, there was nothing more than heavy petting going on in that _one_ scene last chapter. Honestly, I threw it in because I'd never written something like that before, and having the two of them be a couple for this story presented a good excuse to get some practice, don't expect much more of it... okay?******

 ** ** **Final note, as I stated at the beginning of this story, there is to be _Magic_ , in this. I'm going to have a read up on all the powers the cannon (yes, got it right this time) characters possessed, and will attempt to match their powers in this to the powers they have in cannon, to act as mirrors but not exact duplicates. We shall be getting at least _two_ examples of two very _different_ magics used in this chapter, both with their unique advantages and drawbacks... the rest I leave to you dear readers... so******

 ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken... enjoy******

* * *

 _ **The Night beckons while you dream**_

 _You stand upon the edge_

 _Your path woven with a single thread_

 _Fate falls to you_

 _The demons knock at your door_

 _Restless one_

 _Each night you shall hear the drums of War_

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

 _Our voices call to your hunger_

 _Taste the destiny you're searching for_

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

 _The fight is at our door_

 _Take up your cause!_

* * *

Kallen woke with a start, her body slick with sweat. Slowly, she sits up, staring down at her shaking hands. _What the hell was that?_

"Kallen," came Krem's sleepy mumble, "You alright?"

Kallen quickly shoved her hands below her blankets, "Yea Krem, I'm fine, just a bad dream that's all."

Krem gave her a serious look, "I wasn't kidding about the arena changing you... get used to a lot of bad dreams."

Kallen nodded, "its okay Krem, I got it... go back to sleep."

"You sure?" Kallen nodded in response. Krem shrugged and turned over; soon the steady sounds of her snores filled the room

Kallen slipped quietly from bed, and out of the room. Making her way out to the yard, she went and stood in front of the water trough, splashing water over her face and neck. She turned her gaze up to the stars above, trying to make sense of the dream she just had. It hadn't been anything really, just voices, voices in the dark, and... something else... something in the dark... something... _hungry_

Kallen shook herself, bringing her gaze back to the water, _it was just a stupid dream, everyone gets them, it means nothing... nothing_

"Can't sleep?"

Kallen jolted at the voice, whirling around to find Tamaki standing behind her, _when the hell did he get there?_

"Bad dream, that's all, noting I can't handle," Kallen replied

Tamaki gave her a critical look, "Really, then you want to explain why I heard you cry out just now?"

Kallen stared at him blankly, "I... I didn't."

"Yea... you did," Tamaki replied, as he pulled out a small cord from around his neck, on the end, was a charm, fashioned in the same way as Kallen's

Kallen stared at it, before pulling out her own, there were differences, but the basic style and artwork was the same. "You're from Japan?"

Tamaki gave a dry chuckle, "What was your first clue Red?"

"I knew my mom got taken from there, but I've never met anyone else from the Isles," Kallen said

"Well now you have," Tamaki said flatly

Kallen shook herself, "That doesn't explain how you heard me call out?"

Tamaki sighed, "You're mother obviously didn't teach you much about our culture."

"She wasn't really able to teach me much of anything," Kallen responded

Leaning back against one of the training dummies, Tamaki crossed his arms as he began, "These charms we wear are more than just superstition, each time one is made, it's dedicated to a certain spirit of our homeland, if ever that spirit can help someone in need, it will if asked, but it also means all the charms are connected to one another, through the spirits." As he explained, he fingered his own charm, "So when you woke up, I heard you cry out, not audibly, but from this," he said, holding up the charm

Kallen looked down at her own, _why did mom never teach me this?"_

"That said, I've got no idea what spirit your charm is dedicated to, never seen one like it before," Tamaki added

"Would it still work then?" Kallen asked

Tamaki shrugged, "I was a woodcutter, not a priest, so I don't know the specifics of something like that."

Kallen shrank back, "Oh... wait, what's your charm dedicated to?"

Tamaki smirked now, "Beaver," he said, holding it up proudly. At Kallen's furrowed brow, he elaborated, "A beaver is a large rodent, who makes its home by damming a river with wood it harvests from the surrounding forest."

Kallen nodded, _hmm, rather fitting actually, if he was a woodcutter_

"You still haven't answered my question," Tamaki stated

"Huh?" Kallen responded

"Why did you call out?"

Kallen blinked, before turning away, "It's nothing, just a dream."

"A dream doesn't make you call out through your charm... what aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing!" Kallen snapped back, whirling towards Tamaki, her eyes aflame

Tamaki stepped back, hands raised as he stared at her, he felt like a rabbit caught in the sight of a fox. "Okay, okay, it was nothing, I get it," he pleaded defensively

Kallen instantly relaxed, hand coming to her head, her face a grimace of pain, "Heh, you alright?"

"No," Kallen groaned, "I feel... dizzy." Kallen abruptly fell, and Tamaki rushed to catch her, calling out for help as he did

* * *

Kyoshiro Tohdoh sat seiza upon the mountain path, below him was what used to be a secluded little bay, called Nagasaki bay. He remembered how the place had looked before the war, calm waters, the odd fishing boat sailing in and out of the bay, seabirds, calling from every rock... a peaceful place

It was a far cry from that now

Now the sounds of a bustling trade centre filled the air, along with the blasted horns of the metal monstrosities that sat in the bay. Even the seabirds had been scared off by the newcomers, though it was thanks to these newcomers, that the clans stood even half a chance against Britannia. Tohdoh watched as small tug boats, shuttled back and forth between the docks, and the largest of the metal behemoths that sat in the bay. Its hold already full of fine silks, destined for the markets of Veru

The sound of light footsteps alerted Tohdoh to Sayoko's approach, he did not look up as she reached him, continuing to stare down at the bay. "I'm ready to leave, Tohdoh-sama," she declared

"I don't know how you stand it Sayoko-san... being so close to those monsters," Tohdoh growled, his eyes never leaving the object of his scorn

Sayoko's own eyes drifted to the ships below, "At first... I did loathe it, their loud, inelegant, and choke the very air with their fumes... but their just machines, Tohdoh-sama, they cannot be blamed for existing."

Tohdoh sighed, "I suppose your right... even so... I wish we didn't even have to ask for their help."

"I agree, Tohdoh-san," came the wizened voice of Kirihara, using the aid of a cane to climb the mountain path. "But Britannia is not a beast we can best alone... without those metal ocean monsters, we'd have no chance of keeping Britannia back... and the Verusians take great risk by aiding us."

Tohdoh's scowl deepened, "And how have we paid for it all... silk... miles and miles of silk... our people slave away each day to keep up with Veru's demands, while our warriors bleed on the field of battle against Britannia."

"You think I like this?" Kirihara asked, his own gaze sweeping across the bay below, "Everyday our culture is worn away a little more, and with every son and daughter lost, we lose a little more of ourselves."

"You think this slave may hold the key to stopping that?" Sayoko asked

"I hope so, Sayoko-san," Kirihara replied, "I dearly hope so."

"On that, Kirihara-dono, we are agreed," Tohdoh stated, as he stood from his seated position, before turning to Sayoko, "Good luck, Sayoko-san, you're going to need it."

"Thank you, Tohdoh-sama," Sayoko replied with a bow

"We cannot give you any back up on this mission, it will be dangerous enough as it is, without drawing more attention to you with a sudden influx of Japanese," Kirihara stated

"I understand, Kirihara-dono, I shall be fine on my own," Sayoko acknowledged

"Not entirely alone," Tohdoh said. Kirihara and Sayoko turned to him, as he produced a charm, "The Kestrel flies with you on this mission Sayoko-san, keep her safe."

Sayoko dipped her head, as Tohdoh placed the charm around her neck, "Sharp eyes and a pair of swift, silent wings, what Ninja could ask for more," Sayoko stated with a smile

"May fortune's winds guide you, Sayoko-san," Kirihara blessed

"And you, Kirihara-dono, Tohdoh-sama," Sayoko returned, before heading back down the mountain path to the bay

The warrior and his elder watched as she boarded one of the small boats, and was taken out to the large ship. Several minutes later, the ship's horn gave three blasts, the noise echoing around the entire area, before the anchor began to rise, and the ship began to turn out of the bay, and into open water

"She is in the spirit's hands now," Kirihara intoned

Tohdoh nodded, keeping his silence. As they watched the ship leave, they also spotted two large sail boats, flying Britannian colours, both turned away instantly upon sighting the large metal behemoth and its escort of smaller ships. Tohdoh could not keep a grim smile from his face, the Britannians prided themselves on fearing _nothing_. Yet even _they_ wouldn't tangle, with a Verusian _Ironclad_

* * *

Kallen's eyes fluttered open, to find herself staring at the ceiling of the Ludus infirmary, she turned her head to the side, the light of dawn was pouring in from a nearby window and in it she could see Teal'c seated off to one side. He spotted her movement instantly, "Doctor, she's awake," he called out

The Ludus' physician rushed over immediately, inspecting Kallen, turning her head this way and that, "Welcome back to the land of the living Kallen, you gave us all quite a scare."

"What... happened," Kallen mumbled, her mouth feeling like it was filled with cotton. A water skin was passed towards her as she sat up, she looked up to see Teal'c standing next to her, a small smile on his face, "Thanks."

"We were rather hoping you could tell us," the physician said, as Kallen gulped down the water greedily

"You just collapsed, it's a good thing Tamaki was with you or you might have been out there till morning," Teal'c stated

Kallen thought back to last night, waking up to that weird dream, going outside, talking with Tamaki and then... nothing. "I'm, not exactly sure... I had this weird dream last night, I went to go clear my head... talked with Tamaki... and then... I must have fainted?" Teal'c and the physician glanced at one another; Teal'c shrugged while the physician frowned

"Has anything like this happened before?" the physician asked

Kallen shook her head, and then frowned, "Wait... where is Tamaki?"

"Getting his ass chewed out by the Ludus master," Teal'c rumbled

Kallen's eyes widened, before she climbed from the bed, wobbling slightly as she stood. Teal'c was instantly at her side, grabbing a hold of her arm to keep her upright. "Hold up, you need to stay in bed," the physician demanded

"I'm fine doc, Teal'c's got me covered, I need to go see the Ludus master," Kallen replied

Teal'c glanced at the physician, who frowned at Kallen, before his shoulders slumped in defeat, "You aren't going to take no for an answer?" Kallen shook her head, "Then I insist that Teal'c stay with you, and that after you see the Ludus master, you return straight here to rest."

"It's a deal doc," Kallen replied, before shuffling out, each step after the first, becoming stronger, and surer, Teal'c standing ready at her side

Kallen made it to the Ludus master's office without incident, though Teal'c hovered over her every step of the way. As they neared the door, Kallen could hear the master yelling at Tamaki through the door

"If you were not so much of an investment, I'd have you sold to the salt mines for this, HELL, I've half a mind to have you _flogged_!" Kallen didn't pause to knock, she just went straight for the door, the Ludus master's next rant died in his throat as he saw her enter, "Kallen?"

Tamaki turned around, his eyes shining with relief at the sight of her, "Sorry for intruding sir, but I needed to come see you," Kallen said

The Ludus master frowned, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I intend to go back to the infirmary after this sir, I just wanted you to know that Tamaki didn't do anything wrong, in fact, if it wasn't for him, I may not have been found till morning," Kallen declared

Tamaki's eyes widened as Kallen stood up for him, while the Ludus master blinked, his eyes darting between the three of them, before finally settling on Kallen. "Really?" he asked

"Yes sir, I just fainted, probably something I ate that didn't agree with me," Kallen replied

The three of them stared at her for several moments, before the Ludus master cleared his throat, "Well alright then, I suppose that's better than the alternative... how are you feeling now?"

"Better, though the physician wants to keep me in bed for a while longer," Kallen said

The Ludus master nodded, "Yes that does seem sensible... alright then, tell him to let me know when you're back in fighting condition... I have a match lined up for you, but we are still waiting on your armour."

Kallen nodded, "Of course sir."

The Ludus master nodded, "Good... dismissed then," he said, waving them all out

After they left, Kallen leaned against the corridor wall, hand coming to her head and gripping her hair. "Are you sure you're okay Kallen?" Teal'c asked

"I don't know Teal'c, but I will be, just need some rest," Kallen replied

Teal'c and Tamaki glanced at one another, "Well... let us know if you need anything, okay."

Kallen nodded at that, before heading back to the infirmary, she wasn't really dizzy anymore, but she did have a pounding headache. _Rest, just rest, then a bit more training, and I'll be right as rain_

After reaching the infirmary, she went straight back to the bed she'd occupied just a few minutes ago. It was just as Kallen was settling back to sleep again though, that she heard something, frowning, she glanced up, looking around the room. "Heh doc, you don't have a cat do you?" Kallen asked

The physician glanced at her, brow furrowed, "No, why do you ask?"

Kallen frowned herself, then shrugged, "Just thought I heard something purring just now," she said, before settling back to sleep. The physician looked around the infirmary, searching for the mystery cat, but found nothing, shrugging he went back to work, or was about to, until he began hearing the purring himself. He turned around, trying to pin point the location of the noise, after a few minutes searching, he deduced the sound was coming from the direction of Kallen's bed. Being careful not to wake her, he checked underneath, expecting to find a cat there, but there was nothing, and yet the purring persisted. He glanced up at Kallen herself

 _No, that's crazy... there's no way..._ the physician shook the ludicrous thought from his head and returned to work. Ignoring the purring sound, that was now lulling Kallen to sleep

* * *

Lelouch frowned as the servant helped him into the black tunic, the thing hugged his frame like it was trying to choke him... but then again, it was a military uniform. Over in the corner, Milly, who was already dressed, was having her hair done by her own servant. "So, you're father has called a war meeting has he?"

"Yes," Lelouch grumbled, "Apparently, he's displeased with the progress being made in the Isles."

Milly decided not to answer that, she knew how touchy Lelouch was about this subject. While Britannia was perhaps the most powerful nation on the continent, boasting the largest army and navy, it was hideously backward in other areas, like its infrastructure, civic systems and of course, the surviving traditions that kept things like the arena going. In short order, they were ready, and made their way to Lelouch's waiting carriage, from there, it was a short distance from the Ashford residence, to the imperial palace. They were met at the steps by a Knight of the Round, who bowed and escorted them to the war room

As they walked, they passed trophies of the empire, artefacts and heirlooms stolen from other nations for Britannia's disgusting vanity. Lelouch's glare became more and more pronounced as they went deeper in, Milly gave his hand a squeeze, "I know you hate it here... but you just have to hold out for a little longer," she whispered

Lelouch squeezed her hand back, and his glare lessened a notch, as the knight finally brought them to their destination. A pair of servants opened the doors, and they marched inside, the knight stepped to one side and bowed to the room, "Prince Lelouch vi Britannia and his betrothed Millicent Ashford, have arrived your grace."

At the end of a long oval table – upon which was laid a map of the empire and its surrounding neighbours – sat Lelouch's father, the Emperor of Britannia, Charles zi Britannia. He looked up as Lelouch entered, a smile splitting his face, "Lelouch my boy, so glad you could join us."

Lelouch bowed to his father, as besides him, Milly curtsied, "My apologies for the late arrival father, we were caught off guard by this."

Charles waved his hand, "No need my boy, I'll admit I called this meeting rather suddenly... please have a seat."

Lelouch sat in the vacant seat left for him between his two half sisters, his mentor Cornelia li Britannia on his left – placing her second down from father – and Euphemia li Britannia on his right. Their older brother, Schneizel el Britannia sat at their father's right, while Milly's grandfather, Ruben Ashford sat at Charles' left. Milly sat next to her grandfather, normally her lower status wouldn't have even allowed her access to the room, but as her grandfather's heir, she was being groomed to take over the family business, which meant she was now present in all the meetings. Her betrothal to Lelouch also helped

"So," Charles began, "As you were saying general."

A bald man, dressed in a general's tunic, stood, "Yes, your majesty," the man said, before gesturing towards where the Isles of Japan were displayed on the map. "Our forces currently occupy two thirds of the Isles, and are pressuring the remaining resistance in their holdouts," the man began. Lelouch noted the sweat dripping down the man's bald head as he continued, "Unfortunately, the territory we need has not yet been secured, and it's become increasingly difficult to oust the natives from their mountain strongholds."

"This is old news," Charles barked, "What has been done to circumvent this!?"

The general dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief, "Well, we first attempted to surround the natives from the ocean, intending to bombard their fortresses, as well as make an assault from both land and sea... unfortunately..." the man trailed off, his eyes looking anywhere but the Emperor

Besides Lelouch, Cornelia heaved a heavy sigh, "Unfortunately, father, it seems Veru has stuck its nose where it doesn't belong... again."

The room was silent for a time, before Charles spoke, his voice quiet, but carrying a weight that brooked no defiance, "What?"

"Several private merchants from the city have established trade relations with the remaining clans, purchasing silks in exchange for lending the native's use of their private mercenary fleets," Euphemia added

Charles' eyes turned towards the general, who looked like he was about to start pissing himself, "Do you mean to tell me, the monkeys have their hands on _**Ironclads!?**_ " the final word roared, causing most of the room's occupants to flinch

"They're not in direct control," Cornelia reassured, "But they have been using them to prevent our navy from surrounding them, and to protect the trade ports that ship the silk to Veru, whose markets are overflowing with the stuff."

Charles brought a hand to his face, fingers massaging his temples, "How and _when_ did this happen?"

Schneizel sat forward here, "We believe that the Verusians grew curious about where we were sending so many resources, and some scout ships followed our fleets. They made contact with the natives, and from there established their agreements, combat equipped Ironclads followed shortly afterwards."

"And now, as a result of this, the natives have been able to fortify their positions, bottle-necking our troops into kill zones, using the terrain to their advantage and picking off supply caravans," Cornelia finished

"Damm those blasted Verusians," Charles muttered

"Couldn't we use this as a Casus Belli your grace?" asked another member of the Britannian military

"Would that we could," Schneizel replied, "The deals were set up by _private_ merchants... we could try to pressure the City's government to make the merchants cancel the deals... but that would likely cause more problems than it solves."

"Not to mention, they'd be more likely to call our bluff anyway," Lelouch commented

"Agreed," Charles rumbled, he then turned to Ruben, "How close are you to completing your little project Ruben?"

"We're getting there your majesty... but if I'm being honest... we need more samples, and the only known source that hasn't been depleted yet, lie within the native's territory of the Isles," Ruben responded, tipping his head respectfully at the end

"Hmm," Charles mused, and then turned to Schneizel, "Is there a chance we could find sources elsewhere, even small ones?"

"There is father, though it will take time to search," Schneizel responded

Charles nodded, "Alright then, take a full battalion and scour the outskirts of the Empire, find us that source, and soon... if the Verusians figure out what we're up to... it'll make things that much harder."

"Understood father," Schneizel responded

"As for you Cornelia, I want you to take this buffoon's place as head of our forces in the Isles," Charles declared, with a nod in the incompetent general's direction

"As you command father," Cornelia replied

"Was there anything else?" Charles asked the room at large. When no one responded, Charles gave a grim nod, "Good, then I want everyone but Lelouch to leave."

At that, the room's occupants began filing out, Milly was one of the last, as she reached the door, she glanced back at Lelouch, giving him a wan smile, which he returned, then she left, and the door shut behind her. "Good to see you've both taken such a shine to one another," Charles rumbled

Lelouch didn't honour that comment with a response, he'd been against the betrothal to begin with, but Milly had eventually brought him around, though not for the reasons his father thought. "You wanted to talk?" Lelouch asked

"Yes," his father replied, standing, "Come."

Lelouch stood and followed his father through another door, which led into the Emperor's own private chambers. They walked a fair distance, before arriving in what appeared to be a small shrine, but it was dedicated to no god. Upon the shrine's surface sat two paintings, one was of a woman with dark hair like Lelouch's, the other was of a bright eyed five year old girl with sandy brown hair. Lelouch felt a stab of pain in his chest at seeing the paintings; he hadn't been in this room in years

"What are we doing here?" Lelouch asked, his tone carefully clipped and measured

Charles didn't speak for several moments, just staring at the paintings, "I know you blame me for what happened, that you're angry I wasn't there to protect them."

Lelouch felt his chest tighten at his father's words, he looked back at the paintings, "I was a child, I looked up to you, you were the Emperor of Britannia, you were supposed to protect us... but that didn't stop those assassins... and what did you do afterwards?"

"Lelouch," Charles began

"NOTHING!" Lelouch's yell cut across his father's words, then his voice grew quieter, "You did nothing... you didn't look for the culprit... even though you _knew_ it had to be one of the nobility... no, instead... you used their deaths as an excuse to _officially_ declare war on the Isles... what better reason to bring far flung savages to heel than the murder of your beloved wife and youngest daughter."

Charles said nothing, just staring at the back of his son's head, then Lelouch turned to him, and Charles saw the sadness contained in his eyes, "Tell me father... if I'd been killed too... would you have looked for the _real_ killers?"

Charles had no response for his son; he hadn't had one for the last eight years. Finally, he took a breath, "I don't expect you to forgive me... and I don't deserve it... but the least you could do is come visit... pay your respects... I know they'd like that... and I know your mother would be proud of the young man you've become."

Lelouch stared hard at the man he called his father, before turning to look at the paintings, he took a few, faltering steps forward, and gently laid his fingers on the frame of his little sister's painting. "I'll think about it," he said, so quietly, Charles almost didn't hear him, "May I go now?"

Charles simply nodded, at which Lelouch turned and left the room, just as he was reaching the door, he called back to his son, "For what it's worth Lelouch, I'm sorry."

Lelouch paused at the door, but did not turn back, and then he was gone

Several moments passed, in which Charles stared at the paintings, before a voice came from one of the shadowed alcoves to the side, "Aww, so you _do_ have a heart Charlie."

"What do you want, witch?" Charles growled in response

"What's mine, you made me a promise Charlie, and I've come to collect," the voice replied

"Have you found my brother?" Charles demanded

"I haven't caught him yet, but I know where he is."

"Then until you bring him back here, my answer stands," Charles replied

The room's temperature suddenly plummeted, and Charles felt an oppressive force, push him to his knees. "Now Charlie... you know as well as I do that without a contractor, I won't be able to _bring_ your brother to heel," the voice admonished

"You... can't... have... him... he's... suffered... enough," Charles grunted, desperately fighting against the force pushing down on him

"Charles," the voice lost the last of its playful edge, "You and I both know what's coming... we both know what your brother intends to unleash... if you want to stop him... then _give_ me what I'm _owed_!"

"Choose... someone else... _anyone_ else," Charles begged, even as the force pushed him fully to the floor

"No one else even comes _close_ by comparison, I want _him_ Charles... and you _will_ give him to me!"

Charles thought desperately for a solution to this, when inspiration struck him, "You would tear him from his _love_?" The force faltered, for a moment, it was all Charles needed to get one foot underneath him. "If you take him... you run the risk of tearing either his heart out, hers, or _both_... can your _enigmatic_ _self_ live with that!"

" _Do not_ _ **test**_ _me Charles!"_ the voice growled

"Three more years, that's all I ask... just three years... and then you can approach him... if he agrees, he's all yours," Charles bargained, hoping it was enough

"And if he doesn't accept?"

"I'll give you anything else, anything you want," Charles replied

The room's temperature returned to normal, and Charles no longer felt like he was getting shoved to the floor. " _One_ year... I've waited long enough Charles... you get _one_ year."

Charles turned towards the alcove from which the voice had come, but it was now empty. Charles felt both a sense of relief and hopelessness overcome him, he turned back to the paintings, his eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry Marianne... I'm so sorry," with those parting words, he slumps from the room, leaving the shrine empty and silent, once more

* * *

Kallen turned in place, testing how far she could stretch. It had been three days since her little fainting incident – something the other gladiators had ribbed her for, though she'd since restored her rep with a sparring match against Krem – and her armour was done. It consisted of several layers; the first was a pair of leggings and a shirt that flared out around her elbows, before reaching her gauntlets. Her torso was protected by a woven leather cuirass, with a wide panel over it, wrapping around over her right shoulder and under her left armpit, to hold it in place. Another piece protected her right side, and was held in place by two leather straps wrapping horizontally around her midsection. This protection continued down the right side, with three interlocked strips, covering her right hip, attached to a wide leather belt around her waist. Her legs were protected by a pair of greaves, that covered from just below her knees, to about halfway up her thighs, made of multiple overlapping pieces, which were held in place by more straps

Her lower legs were protected by a final piece which fitted on more like a boot than a piece of armour, and below them were a sturdy pair of shoes, with inlaid steel caps over her toes. Her shoulders were protected by a pair of pauldrons, made of three overlaid pieces. After a short section covered by only her shirt, there were her gauntlets, which were made of four overlapped pieces, starting just below her elbow, and ending over the back of her hand. Meanwhile her neck was protected by a tight neck guard, which Kallen had been vexed with to start, as it felt like the thing was choking her. After seeing how much of her neck it protected though, she began warming up to it, especially as the set did not yet include a helmet, and Kallen was veering more and more towards not wearing one anyway.

Overall, Kallen liked it; it didn't restrict her movement too much, was light, and covered the most vital sections of her body. Her blade was also done, and was currently fitted to her left hip, the simple hard leather sheath tied around the belt. The blade itself was long, wide and simple, with two edges, tapering to a point, the cross guard was made of the same metal as the blade itself, and the grip was simple wrapped leather, with a weighted pommel at the end to balance the blade

She drew the blade, and tested out a few movements, off to the side, the Ludus master and armourer watched, while by the door, a few of the other gladiators were gawking. Finally, Kallen turned to the Ludus master, broad smile on her face, "Fits like a glove."

The Ludus master returned the smile, "Good, because if it didn't you'd be going into the arena nude." His head whipped to the door at the sound of someone snickering, "No one invited you to gawk, get back to training!" he shouted

The other gladiators scarpered, though Kallen's cheeks were still a little flushed, she quickly regained herself. "When's the fight and who am I up against?" she asked

"I don't know who you're opponent is just yet... which is odd, usually they've let me know by now... I should know by the end of the day though, need time to get the posters out," the Ludus master replied. "As for when... it's tomorrow afternoon, so get some rest tonight," he added

Kallen nodded, "Of course sir."

Afterwards, Kallen went and found her friends. Teal'c, Tamaki and Krem were all sitting at the far end of the training yard as she walked up, "What do you think?"

They turned to look at her, all of their eyes widened as they took in her appearance. "Well look at you, don't you just make a fine gladiator now," Krem chuckled

Kallen cheeks flushed at the compliment, "You look set to go to into battle, a true warrior," Teal'c praised

"Yea... what they said," Tamaki added, a strange look in his eyes

Kallen followed his gaze to the charm she was wearing, "I'll be wearing it beneath the armour in a real fight," she stated

"Oh... it's not that... I just..." Tamaki trailed off as he now found everyone looking at him, "You know what... forget about it."

Kallen stared hard at him for a moment, before her gaze softened, "By the way... I never thanked you Tamaki."

"What for?"

"That night... you could have just left me there... you didn't... so thank you," Kallen replied, her gaze finding the ground very interesting right now

"Your, welcome," Tamaki replied, his own cheeks slightly flushed

"Ah come on you two, just get you're freak on already," Krem said, clapping them both on the shoulder

Tamaki's blush went full scarlet, while Kallen glared at Krem indignantly, "What the hell Krem, no... just... _no_!"

"Someone's blushing," Krem teased, to which Kallen's blush only increased, while Teal'c gave a hearty laugh

"Just because you're sore about _losing_ our sparring match!" Kallen snapped back, causing Teal'c's laughter to become full blown while Kallen and Krem launched into a full on argument, their bickering echoing around the Ludus courtyard

* * *

Lelouch glared at the map of Pendragon laid out before him; it was an old map, centuries old in fact, from a time when the city was still new. Nowhere on the map did it denote any slums or districts of poverty... no, when the city had first been built, the designers had never factored in what an overblown population – that was consistently trampled upon by the upper classes – would do to the city. Lelouch's gaze rose to the balcony window in front of him. If one were to look out onto the city today, one would be shocked at how different it looked to how the designers had envisioned it

The section of the city he was in right now was quite nice, neat, orderly buildings, regularly spaced trees for shade, and finely kept gardens and fountains were the norm. Just a short walk down the main highway though, brought you out into the market district, which was cramped, crowded, with both people and buildings. There was barely room to walk, let alone live. If one were to ask a noble what they thought about the whole thing, the nice ones would say things like, _"Oh it is a shame, a real shame... but there really isn't much to be done about it... that's just the way things are."_ The indifferent ones would just turn their noses up and say, _"I'm far too busy at the moment, let someone else deal with it."_ While the arrogant and corrupt ones, had a different view, _"Serves those plebeians right for not aspiring to greatness, if they were more proactive like us, then they wouldn't have to live in squalor."_

All three responses made Lelouch's blood boil

The nice ones, while they did sympathise, still did nothing, because they truly did believe nothing could be done to change the situation. The indifferent ones were just lazy, but it was the truly corrupt ones that Lelouch could not stand. At least the other two types of nobility had an excuse; the corrupt ones actually _exasperated_ the situation, by quite deliberately stealing money from the lower classes. Of course _they_ didn't call it stealing... they called it _taxes_... and yes, Lelouch understood the necessity of such things, what he could not stand, was nobles who covered up their skimming a little off the top, by telling the plebs, that taxes had been raised, _again_

Of course, it hadn't been, but the plebs didn't know that, and they ended up blaming the royal family of course. And since the nobles were doing this under father's nose, there was no paperwork... meaning no proof... no evidence to support a conviction

This only made Lelouch's blood boil more

 _This city is a powder keg waiting to blow... and if it's not controlled... it'll cause the Empire to come crashing down_

This was not a new revelation for Lelouch, he'd known this for some time, and had been working towards a solution. He was now so close to achieving his goal, all he needed was someone to light the fuse

"So how did you're talk with the Emperor go?"

Lelouch turned to see Milly behind him, leaning against the door frame. Lelouch was silent for a moment, before turning to look out at the city again, "He tried to guilt trip me this time, by taking me to see them."

He didn't need to say more, Milly knew full well what he meant, and a stab of pain pierced her chest at the memories the words raised. "You really should visit more... even if it's just for them... and even if it's just for a few minutes," Milly said, walking up behind him, and wrapping him in a hug from behind, kissing his cheek

"I _hate_ that place," Lelouch growled

"I know... but you're father is at least trying to make amends... perhaps you should do the same... you know you're his favourite," Milly replied, the last line holding a cheeky tone

Lelouch continued to glare at the city, before his face finally softened, "I'll think about it."

Milly chuckled, "Is that the same answer you gave him?" the twitch of a smile at Lelouch's lips was answer enough

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Lelouch shook himself from whatever thoughts he'd been mired in. "Are we ready?" he asked, breathing deep as did

"Yes, we just need someone to get things started," Milly replied

Lelouch nodded, "Good, and with any luck, we'll receive the perfect candidate tomorrow."

"You really think she can win, against Crassus?" Milly asked with a raised brow

"If she doesn't then she was never worth our time to begin with... this will be her proving... in more ways than one," Lelouch replied, his eyes drifting to the colossal ringed structure that dominated the southern skyline of the city

* * *

It was a new day, the sun was shining, the arena was packed, and the crowd was _roaring_. Down in the pit they'd been left in last time, the sound had been muffled, now Kallen appreciated for the first time, just how _loud_ the crowd really was

The flyers had gone out late yesterday evening, just in time to catch the evening party goers either coming or going from local taverns. From there, word had spread like wildfire, a new match was due to begin, funded by the Black Prince himself. Kallen had asked who the _'Black Prince'_ was, to which Krem had given her this reply

"He's the youngest son of the Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, he hasn't really been seen much in public... besides you're first stint in the arena that is."

Kallen thought back to that fight – had it really been five days already – and recalled the pair of figures she'd seen beneath the VIP box's awning, along with the blonde man who'd announced the end of the fight

"You'll meet him during this fight, as you'll be saluting him of course," Krem had gone on to say

Kallen had contented herself with that, and had spent every waking minute afterwards preparing for this fight. She'd been told that her first opponent was someone named Crassus, and if the Ludus master's reaction to the name told her anything, it was that this _wouldn't_ be a fair fight

"Just do your best out there, and try to stay alive, if the crowd likes the show, you both walk out, couldn't be simpler," he'd said to her after learning her opponent's identity

Now Kallen stood in the waiting area, her stomach full of butterflies, and her hands twitchy, she was itching to do something, but there wasn't anything to do but wait. Besides her, Teal'c and Krem waited with her, this was her first fight, and the Ludus master had wanted someone of experience to give her some last minute pointers before she went in. Teal'c was there for personal moral support

Finally, the announcer began

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome, to the Arena!" he began, his voice booming throughout the building, silencing the crowd. "Today's match, has been sponsored by the Black Prince of Britannia himself, and what a match he has lined up for us today folks," the announcer's words were met with a cheer from the crowd. As it died down, the announcer continued, "Today, two skilled warriors shall face off against one another... the first... is a name you all know, and love... please give a warm welcome, for the return of... Numerius, Rufius, CRASSUS!"

The crowd roared as across from Kallen she watched as a pair of doors opened, and a man wearing light leather armour jogged out onto the field, a small shield was buckled onto his left arm, a sword belted to his hip. It was what was on his back though, that caused Kallen's stomach to flip. "Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me!" she growled

Krem sucked in a breath through her teeth, "Oh... _that_ Crassus."

Kallen's head whipped to her "There's _two_!?" she exclaimed

Krem shook her head, "No, I just thought this one retired a couple years back, I haven't seen him in the arena in a while," she explained

"Are those Javelins?" Teal'c asked

"Yea, and he's a devil with them," Krem replied, "Watch yourself out there Kallen, don't let him get a bead on you."

"Oh you think!" Kallen snapped back, "How is this, in _any_ shape or form _fair_!?"

Krem chuckled, "It's not all bad," at Kallen's raised eyebrow she went on, "Crassus is a mean shot with those Javelins, but he's only a middling swordsman... get in close, get in quick, and you got this in the bag."

Kallen did not feel convinced, but it was too late to back out now, as the announcer's voice boomed out once more. "And his opponent... she's a new arrival to the arena, barely five days ago a slave... now a fully fledged gladiator... ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, for the very first time ever to the arena... KALLEN!"

The doors in front of Kallen opened, flooding the small room with light. Krem clapped her on the shoulder, "Break a leg Kallen, and don't forget to give the crowd a wave, they love that."

Kallen nodded, as she jogged out onto the arena floor, the crowd roaring as she appeared. Just like last time, Kallen soaked it all in, gazing round at the hundreds, possibly thousands of people packed into the place. Despite the crowd, she was still able to find her father, who was once again present with the rest of his family, and just like last time, Kallen's mother was held at his side, forced to watch. Kallen felt her stomach give yet another flutter, _has he paid my opponent to_ _ **actually**_ _kill me?_

Before Kallen could descend down that rabbit hole, a figure in the VIP box stood. Kallen and Crassus turned towards him, he was a lanky young man, about Kallen's own age, with dark almost shoulder length hair, and a pale face. He was wearing a black robe/tunic combo, with gold trimming, that made him look almost like a general observing his troops. Kallen and Crassus thumped their right arms to their chests

 _So, this is the Black Prince_ , Kallen thought, as the figure nodded, and the crowd roared in anticipation

Kallen and Crassus straightened and backed away from one another, as the announcer spoke once more. "Let the battle... BEGIN!"

The moment the last word left the announcer's mouth, Kallen was running, her blade leaving its sheath before she'd even registered reaching for it. The only sounds she could hear, was the roar of the crowd, the pounding of blood in her ears, her own breath, and pounding feet

As fast as she was, Crassus was faster. With a practiced movement that spoke of _years_ of experience, he drew his first javelin, and after a quick check of his aim, threw it. The weapon sailed towards Kallen, who was forced to dodge to the side to avoid being impaled. The crowd roared Crassus' name, as he drew back another javelin, and Kallen set off again. She had to keep moving, if she stopped for even a moment, she was dead. Again and again she avoided Crassus' javelins, but despite her best attempts, she was getting pushed further and further back, to the point, that Crassus was able to pick up previously thrown javelins and throw them again

Kallen soon found her back to the arena wall, the nearby crowd was booing her, while the majority cheered Crassus. She needed to think of a way out of this, and quick

Up in the VIP box, Lelouch looked down on the match, frowning in disappointment, Milly however was looking thoughtful. "The match is over Milly... how on earth is she going to get him from all the way over there?" Lelouch grumbled

"A cornered wolf is often the most dangerous, dearest," Milly replied

Crassus retrieved another javelin, hefting it into a throwing stance, meanwhile Kallen stood panting with her back to the wall. On the sidelines Teal'c and Krem watched in tense anticipation, "Come on little wolf, find a way out."

"Come on Red, don't just give up," Krem muttered

As Crassus prepared to throw, Kallen sent up a silent prayer, _spirits, give me speed_

Kallen suddenly winced as pain erupted between her eyes, and a voice filled her head, **_"If you are worthy, then prove it... prove your strength... prove yourself... or die a weakling!"_**

The words caused something to snap, Kallen's eyes gained a sudden focus they hadn't had before, and her muscles tensed, legs bracing against the ground, ready to push off, in the same instant that Crassus let his javelin fly. The moment it left his hand, Kallen exploded forward in a surge of speed, causing the crowd to gasp, Crassus' own eyes widened as his javelin sailed completely over Kallen, and the panic was as clear as day in his eyes

 **" _Good, he's scared, get him, get the weakling,"_** the voice purred

Crassus quickly snatched his last javelin from his back, and took careful aim, before throwing. Kallen sidestepped the throw, but it wasn't quite enough, and the javelin grazed along her left side, which flared in pain, and caused Kallen's vision to turn red

 **" _Make him suffer, make him pay... KILL HIM!"_**

Kallen uttered a roar of fury as she closed the distance, forcing Crassus to draw his own blade. The crowd roared as their blades met, the arena now filled with the sound of metal against metal. Kallen was relentless in her attacks, _strike, strike, strike, parry, thrust, strike, parry, parry, strike, strike_

Crassus was now the one being pushed back, he was losing, and he knew it, but then, an opening appeared, on instinct, he took it, striking the flat of his blade across Kallen's left side, straight along her fresh injury. The change was immediate, Kallen cried out in pain, as she crumpled to the floor, clutching her left side, sword slipping from her grasp. The crowd gave a collective gasp, before they began to chant Crassus' name. Crassus raised his arms in victory, to a roar from the crowd, before it was drowned out by another chant

"Death, death, death, death!"

Kallen realised with cold understanding, that they were calling for Crassus to finish her off. Wincing she turned her head up to look at the VIP box, which was now behind Crassus, who had also turned to look

Lelouch heaved a heavy sigh, "Ah well... win some, lose some," he said, as he stood and made his way to the side. Behind him, Milly's eyes never left Kallen

Over on the side Teal'c stared intently at her as well, "Come on little wolf, get up!"

"Forget it Teal'c, it's over... she put up a good fight though... hopefully the sponsor will be merciful," Krem said, but Teal'c ignored her

 **" _Should have known, weak, pathetic, die like the worm you are,"_** the voice growled in Kallen's head, forcing her to grit her teeth. Suddenly, a sharp glint of sunlight caught her eye, but she was unable to examine it, as the Black Prince stepped up to deliver his verdict. Kallen watched as he held his closed fist out to the crowd, before raising it, thumbs up, to which the crowd roared in jubilation

Crassus turned back to Kallen, his eyes shining with pity, "Sorry girl... I hope the gods are merciful."

Time slowed, as Crassus raised his blade to deliver the finishing blow, and Kallen's dream returned

 _You stand upon the edge_

 _Your path woven with a single thread_

The sound of the crowd cheering filled her ears

 _Fate falls to you_

 _The demons knock at your door_

That glint of sunlight returned

 _Restless one_

 _Each night you shall hear the drums of War_

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

Sunlight...?

 _Our voices call to your hunger_

 _Taste the destiny you're searching for_

Metal!?

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

 _The fight is at our door_

 _Take up your cause!_

Weapon!

Kallen was a blur, one moment she was sprawled on the ground, the next she was moving. Her foot lashed out, striking Crassus on the inside of his right leg, the steel toe caps giving the blow some extra oomph. Crassus cried out, falling to one knee, sword falling from his limp grasp behind him, meanwhile, Kallen's hand came down onto the glinting object, one of Crassus' previous javelins, and snatched it up. Twirling around, she brought the weapon forward, and drove it home

Crassus gave an explosive gasp as the air rushed from his lungs and wouldn't return, a dull throbbing pain emanating from his gut. He looked down, to see his midsection pierced by one of his own javelins, his blood already soaking into the sand at his feet.

"Yea, so do I," Kallen replied

Around them the crowd was utterly silent. Crassus looked back up, his eyes meeting Kallen's, they were a deep green, Kallen noticed, like fresh spring leaves. Crassus gave her a weak smile, placing an unsteady hand onto her shoulder

"Well... played..." he choked, before he slumped over

Kallen released her hold on the javelin as his body fell, thumping to the ground

For several moments nothing happened

Up in the VIP box, Lelouch stared in utter disbelief, while behind him, Milly smirked. It was Teal'c who finally broke the silence, with an almighty cheer, which Krem instantly joined, and was soon taken up by the nearby crowd, before it began reverberating throughout the entire arena. Grunting in pain, Kallen stood, retrieving her sword, before looking up at the VIP box

Lelouch stared down at the red haired girl before him, unable to find any words right now. He glanced in the announcer's direction, who was waiting eagerly for permission. Finally, Lelouch gave it with a small nod

"Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you... your victor... KALLEN!"

The crowd roared as her name became a chant, and Kallen raised her sword to the sky, causing an even greater cheer. She stood there, basking in the moment for a little, before making her way out of the arena. As she left, she made eye contact with her father, whose face was a rictus of terror

 **" _Fear... good, fear us, pathetic man... fear what you have unleashed."_**

Then, Kallen re-entered the room she'd come from, the doors closing shut behind her. The moment they blocked the crowd's view, she collapsed, into Teal'c and Krem's waiting arms

* * *

 **To be continued dear Readers...**

 **First up,yes, I'm aware that,** **_technically_ , Kallen just broke the rules, but as I said at the start of this chapter, I'm not going by the gladiator's rule book _word for word_. Yes, gladiator fights didn't always end in the death of a fighter, in reality (as much as Hollywood wants us to think otherwise)... but if you're looking very closely, you'll see why I decided to go with this ending for Kallen's first fight (and honestly, it wouldn't have been the same if Crassus had lived... poor Crassus, I shall miss him). Like most of the stuff brought up this chapter, we'll be getting back to it at a later date**

 _ **So be patient my pets, it's a brand new day and the mortal world is at peace... but not for long**_ **; )  
**

 **So yea, hope you guys enjoyed, please don't forget to leave a review, as always, constructive criticism is welcome and I shall see you all, next time**

 **P.s. I know in popular media that it's the thumbs down for finishing an opponent, but I'm going by what historians think is the _actual_ tradition... if it's still wrong... eh fine... I'll just make this _Britannia's_ Arena tradition**


	4. Chapter 4

_******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to******_

 ** ** ** _Wake up my beauties, rise and shine, it's a brand new day and the mortal world is at peace... but not for long. Just look at them... I write one scene and their whole world unravels into chaos... glorious chaos  
_******

 ** ** **Huh-what the... oh... only a dream (notices you all sitting in your seats)... erm... pretend you didn't see any of that... please... pretty please  
******

 ** ** **(Clears throat) Well... might as well get started******

 ** ** **HELLO ALL AND WELCOME BACK******

 ** ** **Hmm, to split or not to split... that is the question. I'm going to say this right now, I got WAY too into this chapter, and it ended up being MONSTROUS, nearly twice as long as the last two chapters... so I've split it. This means both will be a little shorter than the last two chapters, but in trade, you get two chapters for the price of one******

 **Now I know I said Chapter four was going to be my first block of world building, and it is, in a way, both this chapter and the next one were written as one, but have been split to prevent it from being over TEN THOUSAND words long! Yea... I got a little carried away... let's just say there was a lot of things I wanted to do this chapter and it got away from me a bit**

 **So to break it down**

 _ **This**_ **chapter will deal with the consequences of Kallen's actions at the end of the previous chapter, and how she reacts to those consequences**

 **The _next_ chapter will be our world building, and platform from which the story will continue**

 **Now for reviews**

 **MM Browsing - glad to see you're still liking this, and don't worry, I have plans for Charles and Lelouch, _many plans_**

 **ArtoriasHellkite - Many thanks my friend, and buckle up because this is going to be one _wild_ ride**

 **And I think that's everything, so...**

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy**

* * *

 _ **Regrets**_

"Such power... such fury... such... _rage_... my, my boya, what have you gotten yourself into?" chuckled a girl with long green hair as she kicked her legs back and forth over the lip of the Arena's rim

The place was now deserted, a full moon bathing the arena in its soft glow, but the girl could see everything, her golden eyes glowing with magic as she replayed the day's events. She watched as the red head got forced back, how she burst forward, eyes lit with an inner blue fire, the relentless attack, the subsequent fall, the astonishing comeback

The girl's eyes turned to where the VIP box was, her magic revealing where the Black Prince had stood, eyes wide in awe and disbelief, never leaving the red haired beauty, as she ran her opponent through with his own weapon. She could just _see_ the cogs turning in his head, the myriad of possibilities this new revelation presented... _oh yes... he's definitely the one I want_

The girl felt a small stab of irritation that she couldn't approach him now, but a promise was a promise, she would not break her oath to Charles, even as much as he seemed to like breaking his to her. "Still," she mused, "This ought to be fun to watch... V.V. can wait a few months more." The girl grinned; she hadn't been this entertained in centuries

* * *

Kallen's eyes flickered open, to once again find herself staring at the ceiling of the Ludus infirmary, "Not again," she groaned, moving to sit up, only for her left side to flare in pain, causing her to let out a hiss

"Whoa there, not so fast," she looked up to see Teal'c at her side, a kind smile stretching his lips

"Please don't tell me I fainted again?" Kallen grumbled

"Even if you did, you had a good excuse this time," Teal'c chuckled. At Kallen's raised brow he elaborated, "You took a javelin to the side, just a graze, but it did enough damage to cause some serious bleeding. The doc patched you up good, and with you being as young as you are, you should heal up nice... but you'll be in here for at least a week recovering."

Kallen thumped her head against her pillow, "Great," she growled

"Just be glad you didn't wake up on the streets... or worse," Teal'c added

Kallen frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Teal'c sat back in the chair he was seated in, rubbing his bald head, his stance uncomfortable, "The Ludus master wasn't happy about you killing Crassus... he was really worried Crassus' master was going to demand payment to offset the loss, and well... gladiators are expensive."

At Teal'c's words, the fight came back, Crassus standing over her, sword raised, the glint of sunlight off Crassus' javelin. "Oh gods, what did I do..." Kallen breathed, an arm coming over her head, covering her eyes

"What you had to," came Krem's voice as she wandered over, "You survived... and no one faults you for it."

Kallen looked up at Krem, "I could have just wounded him... I didn't need to," she began

"I told you Kallen, this life comes with risks. Yes, we are expected to go for wounding attacks rather than kills, but it's not a _rule_ per say," Krem interrupted, "In that arena, there is only _one_ real rule... _survive_ no matter the cost, that is something every gladiator, _including_ Crassus, adheres to... if he didn't, he wouldn't have congratulated you at the end there."

Kallen thought back to that final moment, where her and Crassus' eyes had met, his final words rang in her head, _"Well... played..."_ Kallen gave a slight shudder at the memory. _It could have so easily been me_. For the first time, Kallen understood the risks Krem had said this life entailed, _fight or die, kill or be killed, survive, no matter what_

"I think I'm going to be sick," Kallen muttered, as her face paled

Teal'c reacted instantly, standing and quickly grabbing a nearby bucket and holding it out to her. Kallen grabbed it, and immediately began retching into it. Krem and Teal'c waited for her to finish, once she'd got it out of her system, Teal'c took the bucket and handed her a water skin, which Kallen began to drink from greedily

After she'd washed the taste of bile from her mouth, she looked up at them, "So what happens now?"

"You rest and recover, and you learn from your mistakes," Krem stated simply

Kallen frowned up at them, "What about the Ludus master?"

"He _was_ worried," Teal'c began as he washed out the bucket, tossing the contents out a nearby window, and using another water skin to clean it. "But someone was apparently looking out for you."

At Kallen's furrowed brow, Krem explained, "The match's sponsor paid Crassus' master for the loss, covering funeral expenses, and even the compensation payment for Crassus' family."

Kallen's eyebrows shot up, "What... his family!?"

Krem nodded, "His wife and three kids, Crassus' friends from his own Ludus, also put some money into the pot for them."

Kallen was shaking now, and the sick feeling returned, thankfully, she was able to hold it in this time... but only barely. _He had a family... I just killed a father of three... gods what have I done_

* * *

Lelouch reviewed yesterday's expenses, overall, it was a little steeper than he had been expecting... but the payout. _That power... that fury... that_ _ **fire**_ _... she's perfect, oh the things I could do with an agent like her_. It seemed almost a waste to use her as his central piece for his current scheme, there was so much more she was likely capable of. That said, it wasn't likely that she would be up to some of his other schemes... and there was a chance she'd refuse this one too. _I need more information_

"Villetta," Lelouch barked

The teal haired female knight from before, entered his office

"Yes my Lord?" Villetta asked, bowing

"Head to the Pendragon Ludus and stake it out, I want as much information on Kallen as possible, if she leaves the Ludus for whatever reason, I want you to follow her, record _everything_ ," Lelouch commanded

"As you command my Lord," Villetta responded, bowing again, before leaving the room

Milly entered just as she left, "Pushing things forward I see."

"We need to act fast... before something happens to her... she's perfect Milly, a force of nature itself... the things I could do..." Lelouch trailed off distractedly

Milly marched up to him, and pulled him from his paper work, "One scheme at a time, remember?" she said, making sure to match his violet gaze with her own dark blue. "You did promise me," she added

Lelouch sighed, he was getting ahead of himself, "I know, sorry... yesterday was just so...unexpected"

Milly nodded; even she had been surprised by the outcome of yesterday's fight. Surprised, but by no means disappointed. She then took a breath, "Right now though, we need to get ready to head to Julcester," she said

Lelouch frowned, "What for?"

Now Milly scowled at him, "To see off your sister you dummy," she snapped back, slapping him on the shoulder, "You didn't forget, did you?"

Lelouch cursed under his breath, he'd been so wrapped up in planning out their path forward, that he had forgotten. "I suppose a couple days off won't hurt, we can't do anything until we meet with her anyway, and she's going to need time to recover from her injuries," Lelouch said finally

"That a boy, now go get ready," she stated imperiously, smirking as Lelouch stalked away, grumbling something about having her disciplined for bossing around a royal

* * *

Luciano lay back, his nude form glistening with sweat from his recent _workout_ , his mind running over yesterday's fight. Between his legs, a head of long black hair bobbed up and down, causing him to shudder with pleasure. He'd never seen anything like yesterday's fight before, _Crassus had her cornered, and she still found a way out, he disarmed and floored her, and she still came back from it... she_ _ **should**_ _be dead... but she's not... she's alive, and Crassus is dead in her place_

It had been disturbing, to say the least, to see a veteran of the arena, get taken out so easily by a novice... and a _girl_ at that. _I'm going to have to tread carefully with this one_

"Enjoying yourself?" came a voice off to the side

Luciano didn't bother to look at who it was, but as his companion turned to look, he glared down at her. "Who told you to stop slut," he barked, the girl quickly got back to what she'd been doing, her head bobbing once more. Luciano sighed in pleasure, as he relaxed back again, "The girls here are wonderful... you should try them sometime my friend, your lord too for that matter... much better than fucking a house slave. These girls are _trained_ to please a man, _and_ they make sure nothing ever comes of it either... meaning there's no risk of half-blood, bastard children."

"I'll pass," came the voice again, its tone hard

Luciano shrugged, "Suit yourself," he replied, as he gestured for the girl to stop and turn to the wall, bent over, before getting behind her. "You don't know what you're missing," Luciano sighed, as he began having his way with the girl, who began grunting and moaning with pleasure from his thrusts, egging him on

"Have you got the list?" came the voice again, now very annoyed at Luciano's debauchery

"Still working on it... yesterday's fight has caused me to revise it slightly... she's a lot better than I was expecting," Luciano replied

"She almost got herself killed," the voice stated

"But she didn't, and that my friend, is what counts... in the arena, there are no _if's_ or _but's_ , all that matters, is what _did_ happen," Luciano replied, giving the girl three particularly hard thrusts at his emphasised words, causing her to cry out in both pleasure and pain

"Can you not do that?" the voice said

Luciano simply smirked over his shoulder as he continued to thrust, "Don't worry my friend, you'll get your list, just give me a couple more days... then we'll get the bitch."

"See that you do," the voice replied, before its owner left Luciano to his depraved ways

* * *

Kallen knocked on the Ludus master's office door twice, the response was immediate, "Enter." Kallen walked in, the Ludus master was seated at his desk, filing some reports, as he glanced up at her, a servant at his side, holding a number of other documents. He finished the one he was working on, before handing it to the servant, "Leave us," he commanded

The servant nodded, before scuttling past Kallen and out the door, shutting it behind him

Once they were alone, the Ludus master sat back, and stared at Kallen, who shuffled in place, stomach filled with butterflies. Finally, the Ludus master spoke, "You want to tell me what happened out there?"

Kallen looked down shamefully, "I honestly don't know sir..."

The Ludus master frowned, "What do you mean you _don't know_?"

Kallen took a breath, "One moment I had my back to the wall... the next... I felt... _something_ come over me... it was like I was suddenly filled with an uncontrollable anger and hatred... I rushed Crassus, and he grazed me with that last javelin... after that... whatever small amount of control I had disappeared... after that, I just wanted to _kill_ something... _anything_." Kallen looked away, unable to meet the Ludus master's gaze

The man sighed, and ran a hand through his thinning grey hair, "Sounds like battle lust to me... wouldn't be the first time it's claimed a young gladiator, and it certainly won't be the last."

Kallen looked back up, her brow furrowed in confusion, "Battle lust?"

The Ludus master nodded, "It's not an uncommon affliction in those who fight, whether they are soldiers or gladiators... essentially, it's the explanation for how soldiers, particularly younger soldiers, anywhere between their 20's and 30's, succumb to the thrill of battle... the desire to kill."

Kallen felt a chill run up her spine, "Can it be cured?"

The Ludus master chuckled, "There is no curing it Kallen... it's not like a normal affliction, it can't be cured... but it can be controlled, it just takes discipline and willpower." He now sat forward, his face serious, "So long as you refuse to give into it... _you_ are the one in control, it has no power over you, so long as you _don't_ give in."

Kallen stood in quiet thought for a moment, then looked back up at him, "And what if I need to, to win?" she asked. Before he could respond, she went on, "If I hadn't given into it... I'd be dead by now, impaled by one of Crassus' javelins."

"He'd have never gone for a kill shot," the Ludus master responded

"Accidents happen, particularly with ranged weapons," Kallen countered, "Whatever it was that afflicted me out there, it helped me win."

"Yes... and it also caused you to kill, when you could have injured instead," the Ludus master snapped back, before sighing and sitting back again. "A lot of scholars think that battle lust stems from our primitive, _primal_ origins, the part of us that stems from the animal kingdom... some have even come to term it as the 'Fight or Flight response'. Its entire nature is to give us that edge to survive in a hostile world... but its price is a lack of control... those who give into it repeatedly... steadily begin to lose themselves to the beast within," he looked up at Kallen now, "And if you want proof of that... you need only look at this Ludus' own lion... who now hungers for _your_ blood."

Cold understanding filled Kallen as she realised who he was talking about, "I understand," she said, after several moments

The Ludus master nodded in response, "Good... apart from that, you did very well for your first fight... a little rough around the edges, but nothing training and practice won't cure." He now looked up at her, "How's your injury?"

"Better, I can move around now without it hurting at least, but the doctor said it'll be a while before I'm combat ready again," Kallen replied

"Alright then... we'll keep you on the back bench for now... I have some exercises for you to enhance your discipline and control that you can be getting on with in the meantime... apart from that, use your free time how you like," the Ludus master stated

Kallen nodded, and then a thought came to mind, "On the subject of free time sir... I was wondering if I might know the address of Crassus' family."

The Ludus master levelled a stare at her, "And why's that?"

Kallen shuffled, her tone now remorseful as she replied, "I want to apologise to them... for what happened... I haven't been sleeping well since the fight... and I don't think I will till I get this off my chest."

The Ludus master sighed, "I figured you'd say that," he said, before pulling out a small slip of paper, "Here, but don't expect them to be welcoming."

"Thank you sir," Kallen replied, taking the paper, before she was dismissed from the room

* * *

The port town of Julcester sat just a few miles west of Pendragon, along a wooded coastline that stretched for several miles to both the north and south of the settlement. It was the primary trade port for the capital and as such, conditions were a little better for everyone there than in the cramped and crowded city. And while the military dockyards were located just a little further south, it was usually from Julcester that dignitaries and agents of the crown set off from for an overseas trip. It had been sometime since a royal had departed from the town however, and the large ship of the line that sat in the harbour, dwarfed the small fishing and trade boats around it

Goods were being loaded onto the ship, everything from food, water, medicine and other essentials, to weapons, armour, and most importantly, Gloucester Griffins. The animals were in a word, _magnificent_ , bred in the city of Gloucester to the east in the Arbor Mountains; they were the finest mounts in the Empire's military. The Gloucester breed had pure white wings, while their heads were covered in dark blue feathers, matching their hindquarters, which were covered in a dark, blue tinted fur. Bred for combat and war, their talons could slice a man in half, and were also decent against most forms of infantry and mounted armour. Their hind legs were powerful and bulging with muscle, enabling leaps and kicks that most mounts could only dream of. Their beaks were sharp and finely honed, guided by the sharpest pairs of eyes to ever grace the animal kingdom

Perhaps more importantly, the dozen Griffins being led onto Cornelia's ship, the _Indomitable_ , had all been raised by her since they were hatchlings. Since she'd been a little girl, Cornelia had loved Griffins, and had begged their father for one when she was little. Their father had gone a step further, and given her a whole clutch, telling her that if she could raise and care for them by herself, then she could keep them. Cornelia had of course, set out to prove she could, and now, her Gloucester Griffins were perhaps the most loyal and fierce mounts in the Empire

Each had been gifted to one of her knights, who had now come to be known as the Glaston Knights, one of the most feared and respected fighting forces in the world. When the Emperor of Britannia sent his eldest daughter and her knights to a war front, you knew things were about to go down. Namely, the castles and fortresses of Britannia's enemies

Cornelia had of course kept the eldest and largest of the beasts for herself, and her second in command Andreas Darlton had one of his own, separate from her clutch. Transport across the sea was always difficult with such large animals, especially ones used to flying around mountain peaks, as such, Cornelia's ship had been specially customised for them, to allow them to leave the ship easily without compromising the ship, or their speed, and stretch their wings

As loading was finished, Cornelia observed the entire process from the dock, her knight Guilford ever present by her side. "Taking the birds with you again sister?" came a call from behind her

She turned smiling as Lelouch, Milly, Euphemia and Darlton made their way towards her. "I could hardly leave them behind, they'd probably all escape and follow me across the sea anyway," she joked, giving everyone a good laugh

"Seems a tad unfair," Milly said, "I mean have the Japanese had to _deal_ with Griffins before?"

"No," Cornelia replied, "But that is mainly due to the costs and difficulty involved in transporting them." She now smirked as she turned back to her ship, "Luckily, I've spent my life raising these Griffins, and getting them used to travelling."

"The natives shall not know what hit them," Andreas stated, pride shining in his eyes

"At any rate, we wish you luck sister," Lelouch said

"Indeed," Euphemia agreed

Cornelia turned back to them smiling, "Thank you, and don't worry this _errand_ won't take long once I arrive there, I should be back in time for the winter festival... try not to bring the Empire down around father's ears while I'm gone Lelouch."

Milly and Euphemia giggled as Lelouch gave his sister a look of mock affront, "Sister, I would _never_ do such a thing."

"Uh huh," Cornelia replied, a knowing smile gracing her fine features, even as her purple locks blew in the sea breeze

A member of the Glaston Knights then approached from the ship, bowing to the gathered royals and his two superiors, "My lady, we are ready to depart."

"Very good... Darlton, see to final preparations, I'll be along shortly," Darlton bowed and followed the knight – one of his own adopted sons – to the ship. Cornelia then turned and embraced her little sister Euphemia, "Be good Euphie, and stay safe."

"I will sister," Euphemia replied

They parted, and Cornelia turned to Lelouch, "Stay out of trouble mister," she said, ruffling his hair fondly

Lelouch fended her off, "Yes mom," he replied, before embracing her

Cornelia turned finally to Milly, "Farewell, lady Ashford... remember to keep this one in line," she said, gesturing to Lelouch at the last part

"Oh don't worry, I intend to," Milly replied, cheeky grin plastered on her face

Cornelia then smirked, "When I get back, I expect to see a wedding band on your finger, or at least a set date for the event."

That caused both Lelouch and Milly to turn bright scarlet, while Euphemia began giggling off to the side. With their farewells said, Cornelia and her knight, made their way to her ship, once they'd boarded, the crew began to cast off. Cornelia made her way to the stern, looking over the railing at her siblings below, waving as the ship pulled out of the harbour. They waved back, until it was no longer possible to make out individuals on the ship

A sly grin began to spread across Lelouch's face. _The board is now set, Schneizel is scouring the outskirts of the Empire, Cornelia is sailing to a far flung archipelago, and father is too wrapped up in his pet project to care about what happens in the city... time to get to work_

* * *

Kallen wandered down the street, she was wearing just a plain brown tunic, with a small dagger strapped to her waist – Krem's idea, when she'd heard where Kallen was going – she was grateful for the weight, as she'd already received several unsavoury looks from shifty looking characters loitering in alleys. The obvious weapon and her obvious bearing deterred them though, as she made her way deeper into the Slats, the name for the western poor district. Here was where many of the lower class population lived, it wasn't the worst off of the three major poor districts, but it certainly was in a bad way. Buildings were crumbling, streets were clogged with filth, and the less said about the stench the better

There were a few nice areas here and there, belonging to the middle class citizens in charge of the district, but these were few and far between. Finally, she reached her destination, a decently kept block of flats near the centre of the district. Kallen glanced wearily at the small group of men loitering at the entrance to the ring of homes, whose eyes never left her as she made her way in. They didn't stop her though, so Kallen paid them no mind once she was past them

It didn't take her long to find Crassus' flat, she took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. The muffled sounds of children crying out came through the door, as well as a woman's voice, that became clearer as she approached the door

"Titus, please move, go and look after your brother and sister please," the door then opened, and a woman in her early thirties stood before Kallen, she had light sandy hair, and a kindly face, which scrunched in confusion upon seeing Kallen at the door. "Yes, can I help you?" she asked

"Mrs Crassus... my name is Kallen... I've... come to apologise... for what happened," Kallen got out, falteringly

Mrs Crassus frowned, trying to figure out what Kallen was talking about, and then her eyes widened as understanding dawned. "Titus, take your brother and sister outside to play," she called, all without taking her eyes off Kallen

The little boy named Titus, who looked to be only seven years old, looked back towards his mother, his little brother and sister running around behind him. He looked between his mother and Kallen, brow furrowed. _Wow, he already looks like his dad_ , Kallen thought, noticing the boy's green eyes as he took his younger siblings past them and out into the yard beyond

Mrs Crassus stood to one side and beckoned Kallen in after they left, and closed the door behind her as Kallen entered. Once the door was shut, she led Kallen to a sitting area off to one side of the main room. Behind it was a kitchen, and behind that Kallen could see a few doors, one looked like it led off to a kid's room, the other to a bathroom, which left the closed door as the master bedroom, where Crassus and his wife slept. Another stab of guilt hit Kallen as she realised that Mrs Crassus would now sleep in that room alone

They sat at a table between the kitchen and the sitting area, neither speaking for a time. Finally, Kallen could take the silence no longer. "I'm so sorry... I didn't know he had a family, if I had I would have _never_ ," Kallen began, before Mrs Crassus cut across her

"Don't... just don't... don't say it... don't speak about what happened," she said, her eyes distant and misty

Kallen bowed her head, unable to look the woman across from her in the eye, "I didn't come here for forgiveness... I know I'll probably never get it... I just wanted you to know... how sorry I' am."

Mrs Crassus suddenly gave a dry chuckle, "Numerius was exactly the same," she said wistfully, "Whenever he ended up killing an opponent in the arena, if that person had a family, he'd always try to apologise... even if all he ended up getting was scorn." She looked away, wiping her eyes, before looking at Kallen, her soft amber eyes meeting Kallen's blue ones. "So thank you... thank you for not forgetting that... outside of that _wretched_ place... you and every other gladiator has a life... has friends... has family," she said, tears tracking down her face

Kallen blinked, taken aback, "Wait... you're not angry?"

Mrs Crassus shook her head, "No child, I'm not... I had to accept, _long ago_ , that one day... Numerius might depart for the arena and never come back. When I told him how that made me feel... he begged me not to blame the gladiator who might one day take his life... he said that it wasn't their fault... they were simply doing what they'd been trained to do... just as he was doing what he'd been trained to do." She looked away, fingers running around the metal band on her ring finger. "He did so much for me, for our family... all to make up for the fact that we had to accept, that his job might one day kill him."

Kallen had no idea what to say, her entire body was numb, what _could_ she say. She was pulled from her thoughts by Mrs Crassus again, "And it's not like we've been left wanting... we received fair compensation from the Ludus, and Numerius' comrades from his Ludus help out every now and again, some have even promised us a portion of their winnings... so we'll be fine."

Kallen nodded, and then a thought came to mind, "If there's anything I can do... anything at all..."

The older woman now turned to Kallen, smiling, "You really want to make this up, don't you?"

Kallen nodded, "I lost control... I wasn't myself... so if there's any way I can make this up..."

Mrs Crassus gave her a steady stare, before sitting forward, "Numerius once got a piece of advice from another gladiator, and I think he'd want it passed on to you." Kallen looked at her, eyes steady as she held the older woman's gaze. "If you make a mistake, whether it's in the arena, or elsewhere, then _learn_ from it," she said. "Take what you have learned from this fight, and improve... make sure that something like this doesn't happen again... do that... and you'll have my forgiveness."

Kallen stared at her for a moment, and then a happy, watery smile graced her face, "Consider it done."

Mrs Crassus smiled back

Afterwards they talked for a while about how she and Crassus met, about how he courted her before asking her father for her hand in marriage. They talked for a good hour, before Kallen made her farewells. Mrs Crassus showed her out, her kids rushing back to their mother upon sighting Kallen leaving. As Kallen walked away, she vaguely heard Titus speaking, "Who was that mom?"

"Your father's last opponent," Mrs Crassus replied quietly, Kallen heard nothing for several moments after that, before, "Titus no!"

That was all the warning Kallen got, before a small fist thumped into her back, she staggered for a moment, before turning back to see a teary eyed Titus standing behind her, fists clenched, a look of pure hatred on his face. At Kallen's questioning look, the boy began screaming, drawing the attention of everyone in the block, "I hate you... why did you have to kill him... why... why couldn't it have been _you_ who died!"

Silence reigned throughout the courtyard, Kallen saw Mrs Crassus standing just outside her door, a look of pure terror on her face. She notice the men by the entrance had now stood straight, and were looking towards where she and Titus were standing. Knowing how delicately this would have to be handled, Kallen knelt in front of the boy; this had been more like the response she'd been expecting. "I don't blame you... right now, I hate myself a little... so I tell you what... go ahead and hit me... hit me as much as you want... get the anger out of your system... don't let it fester," she said

Titus stared at her, his eyes wide, before they narrowed to rage filled slits, and his fist swung again, and again, and again. Kallen knelt there and took the beating from the seven year old for at least several minutes, before the boy eventually tired, his hits becoming weaker, until he eventually collapsed against Kallen, tears streaming down his face. Kallen let him cry himself out, before taking him by the shoulders to look him in the eye, "Feel better?"

Titus gave a small nod and a sniffle, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, "I know it hurts Titus... and I'm sorry that this happened... more sorry than you'll ever believe." Kallen looked up at the boy's mother, to see some of the fear had gone, but she was still tense, ready to rush forward if needed. "But your dad wouldn't want you to give into grief or anger, now would he?" Titus shook his head, "No, he'd want you to be strong, for your little brother and sister... you've got to protect them now... keep them safe... you look out for them, be the strong big brother they can both look up to, and I know your dad would be proud."

"Really?" Titus asked, through the tears, hopefully

"Really... can you be strong for them Titus?" the boy nodded, and Kallen smiled, before beckoning his mother over. Mrs Crassus rushed forward, and embraced her son, who began sobbing into his mother's shoulder

"It's okay Titus, its okay to cry, I'm right here sweetie, I'm right here," she said

Kallen stood as Mrs Crassus comforted her son, she made eye contact with the older woman, who gave her a small smile, which Kallen returned, before making her way out. She nodded to the men guarding the entrance of the block, who all nodded back, their gazes now far less hostile

* * *

Kallen felt worlds better as she began making her way back to the Ludus, it hadn't gone how she was expecting, but it had gone better than she'd feared, and hoped for that matter. She was about halfway back to the Ludus, making her way through a particularly busy street, when someone collided with her

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," said a female voice, as Kallen stumbled to one side

Kallen noticed the finely made dress out the corner of her eye, and knew that this person was at least middle class, if not higher. "No it's my fault, wasn't looking where I was going," Kallen replied, dipping her head to her betters

"Oh no, please there's no need for that, it was my fault really," the voice said again, before another joined it

"You being a klutz again Shirley?" came a male voice

Kallen finally looked up to see three people now standing in front of her. All three were about her age; one was a girl with orange hair, wearing a sky blue dress of fine cloth. Another was a boy with blue hair and white tunic, while the third was a girl with dark green hair and matching dress

"Oh like you can talk, Rivalz, the way you bet, I'm surprised you're not broke already," Shirley shot back

"Please you guys, let's not fight," the second girl said, her so voice quite Kallen wasn't sure the other two heard her

Kallen stared at the three of them, blinking in confusion as they began to bicker, before the orange haired girl realised she was still there. "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners, I'm Shirley Fenette," she said, bringing a hand to her chest

"Rivalz Cardemonde," the boy added, thumb raised

"And I'm Nina Einstein," the other girl said, hands held demurely in front of her

Kallen blinked again before coming to her senses, "Oh, right, hi, I'm," but Shirley cut her off

"Your Kallen aren't you, the gladiator who fought Crassus last week," she exclaimed, eyes a glow

"Uh, yea, that's me," Kallen replied awkwardly

"Oh my gosh, you've become and overnight sensation, _everyone_ is talking about you," Shirley exclaimed excitedly

"That match was incredible, did you plan out how you were going to win or was it all improvised," Rivalz asked

Before Kallen could respond, Shirley cut across her, "Of course it was improvised you dumb dumb, you think they _plan_ to kill a gladiator in the arena!?"

"I didn't mean it like that, I just want to know if she went in with a plan," Rivalz countered

As they bickered, Nina came up to Kallen, "You're armour was well made, did you make it yourself?"

Kallen blinked again before giving her a smile, "Oh no, we have our own armourer in the Ludus who makes all the equipment we need."

"Really, that's so cool," Rivalz cried

Kallen nodded in agreement, "In answer to your earlier question... no I didn't plan out what to do exactly, my only real goal was to get in close to prevent him from using those javelins... but that plan kinda fell apart pretty quickly... so after that I just improvised."

Shirley looked like she had stars in her eyes, as did Rivalz besides her. Kallen smiled as well, before dipping her head, "It was nice to meet you, and I'm glad you enjoyed the show last week... but I really must be going." Kallen turned to leave, but suddenly found Shirley latched onto her arm

"Wait, you're just going back to the Ludus?" she asked

"Well, yes, I have training and..." Kallen began before Rivalz cut her off

"Don't you get out at all, I mean, I know your gladiator's but you get some free time right?" he asked

"And you know what they say, 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'," Nina stated, smiling

"That's right," Shirley agreed, "So come on, let us show you around, and find something fun to do."

"No really, it's fine... whoa heh!" Kallen exclaimed as Shirley and Rivalz dragged her down the street and towards what looked like a street festival going on

"Come on, live a little, it'll be _great_ ," Shirley replied

The rest of Kallen's day was spent wandering the city with the three of them, they started with the everyday street festival, which were full of fun activities. There was a stand with targets that you had to hit with a wooden ball, success earned you a prize of sweet rolls. Kallen, Shirley and Nina had a good laugh at Rivalz's expense as he tried and failed to hit the targets. He then challenged Kallen to have a go, and she scored a direct hit on the central target on the first try, much to Rivalz's chagrin. Another area had been set up with two sets of posts, and the goal was to try and get a leather ball through one set, while defending your own from the enemy team. All four of them faced the current winners of the game, and with Kallen leading them, won the game 3-0

Kallen got herself embarrassed at the mock archery contest, throwing a ball across a dozen foot space was one thing, firing an arrow from a bow down a 50 metre range was quite another. Rivalz performed a victory dance after beating her, to which all three girls proceeded to throw pies at him for, causing yet another bout of hilarity

After they left the street festival, they made their way to a nearby tavern for lunch, Kallen paid for it with her winnings from last week's fight. During the meal they talked about where each of them was from. Shirley was the daughter of a middle class merchant, while Nina's father was a scholar, teaching at the local library. Rivalz was the son of a cobbler, not quite bottom of the heap, not quite middle class either. Kallen of course told them her own story, though she neglected to mention her father's name, her reasoning being that she didn't want her father hurting her new friends in order to keep their silence about it

Shirley had understood instantly, as her father usually dealt with the upper classes, and had shushed the other two up about it

Finally, after a long day, it was time to part ways; they said their goodbyes to one another not far from Pendragon Ludus. "I really had fun today, thank you," Kallen said as they arrived at the street that led to the Ludus

"You're welcome," Shirley replied, smiling kindly

"We should do this again sometime," Rivalz stated excitedly, while Nina just nodded, also smiling

"I'll see what my training schedule is like," Kallen chuckled, before waving goodbye, and heading back to the Ludus. Her new friends waved back, as they made their way home

Despite the fact that today had not gone at _all_ like Kallen had planned, she felt good, much better than when the day had started. The looming spectre of Crassus was gone, and though a part of her still felt guilty, it wasn't nearly as heavy as it had been this morning, and to top it all off, she had three new friends... life she decided, was good

That was until she saw the Ludus master's stern face the moment she walked into the Ludus

"And where exactly have you been all day, young lady?"

 _Oh brilliant_ , Kallen groaned internally

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for this chapter, don't go anywhere because the next is right around the corner**

 **Just to get this out the way now... I know people are probably going to bash me for not having Mrs Crassus be angry at Kallen, but I do have my reasons, and that is that Kallen is going to have a _lot_ more to worry about soon, and I didn't want this to weigh her down. I wanted to get it out the way and resolved as quickly as possible**

 **If people are unhappy about this, I do apologise, but I'm not changing it, I have a plan and I'm sticking to it**

 **Apart from that, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a review, as always, constructive criticism is welcome... now for a quick commercial break ; P**


	5. Chapter 5

_**_******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to******_**_

 ** ** ** **AAAAAND, WE'RE BACK********

 ** ** ** **What else can I say but...********

 ** ** ** **DOUBLE CHAPTER!********

 ** ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy********

* * *

 _ **History Lessons**_

"Really?" Lelouch asked as he sat at the dinner table, empty plate in front of him, across from him, Milly sipped her tea

"Yes your majesty, I followed her all of yesterday, she seems to have a good noble heart. Were it not for the circumstances of her birth, I'd say she would make a fine knight," Villetta replied with a bow

Lelouch sat back, a small smile gracing his face, "That's good, very good," he said

"Send the invitation then dearest, we can meet with her tomorrow, get things moving," Milly stated

Lelouch nodded, "My thoughts exactly," he said, before turning back, "Villetta."

"I will see to it immediately my lord."

* * *

Kallen glowered as she worked on her exercises, exercises she should have been doing the day before, when she'd been hanging out with her new friends. They were mainly fitness orientated, but a few had combat applications as well. Beside her sat Teal'c, who'd been assigned to make sure she actually did them

"He said to use my free time how I wanted," Kallen grumbled

"Yes... but your free time doesn't last the entire day, now does it?" Teal'c countered

Kallen scowled some more, sitting up from the position she was in to take a rest, "I got carried away alright... I said I was sorry."

Teal'c chuckled as he helped her to her feet, while handing her a water skin, "No point complaining about split milk now... just keep at it," he said

Kallen nodded, and then looked up as the sound of a horse came from the Ludus entrance. She turned to see a man with teal hair and a knight's uniform, sitting astride a white horse. As she watched, he dismounted, as the door guards approached him

"Can we help you sir?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a gladiator named Kallen," the knight responded

The door guards glanced at one another, "What did she do?"

"Nothing, I have something I was bade to deliver to her," the knight replied

"Yo, over here," Kallen called, raising her water skin

The knight looked in her direction, before glancing at the door guards, who both shrugged, before stepping aside. The knight made his way over to where Kallen and Teal'c stood, as he did, Kallen was very aware of the many eyes on them. After reaching them, the knight gave a small bow before handing her a small sealed scroll. Kallen took it from him as he rose, opening it up, she frowned as she studied the paper, "I can read it for you if you like?" the knight said

"No, it's fine... I'm just a little confused... says here I'm being invited to have lunch?" Kallen replied

"Yes, my lord wishes to meet with you and discuss your future career," the knight responded

"Why?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to take that up with him."

Kallen stared at the knight hard for a couple of seconds, before a voice behind her pulled her from her thoughts. "What's going on here?"

Kallen turned to see the Ludus master walking towards them, she turned back to the knight quickly, "Please tell your lord that I' am deeply flattered, but I must decline, I have a lot of training to catch up on."

The knight now frowned in turn, "My lord will be sorely disappointed to hear that," he said

Kallen was about to apologise, until the Ludus master snatched the letter out of her hand, everyone stared at him for a moment, then he spoke, so quietly it's a wonder anyone heard him, "Kallen, my office, now."

Kallen was about to argue, but one hard look from the Ludus master was enough to shut her up, she nodded and quick marched it to the Ludus master's office. As she walked away, she heard the Ludus master speaking with the knight, "Please give us a moment, this won't take long."

The moment the two of them were alone in his office, the Ludus master got right in her face, "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Kallen cried, indignantly, "The guy just showed up and gave that to me." The Ludus master's face softened, before frowning and he began to pace, Kallen felt unease settle in her gut, "What's wrong sir?"

The Ludus master stopped his pacing, just long enough to hand the letter back to her, "You see that seal?" Kallen took the letter and looked at the seal it had been closed with, there was an identical one, stamped at the bottom of the page

"Yes... what about it?" she asked

"That's the seal of the vi Britannia's, the symbol of the late consort, Marianne vi Britannia, the latest of the Emperor's wives and mother to his youngest son and now deceased daughter," the Ludus master said, "Which means this letter came from Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, the Black Prince himself."

Cold understanding filled Kallen to the core, and at the same time, her confusion rose even higher, "Why the hell would the Black Prince want to have lunch with me!?" she exclaimed

The Ludus master shook his head, "I don't know... it's not uncommon for nobility to sometimes request time with a famous gladiator... comes as part of the job." The Ludus master now looked at Kallen, "But you have only one fight under your belt, and it was a close one at that... not to mention that this isn't a noble asking... this is a _Royal_ asking."

A number of different scenarios suddenly filled Kallen's head, none of which were really appealing to her. "What should I do?" she asked

The Ludus master scowled for a moment, before heaving a heavy sigh, "Accept, it would be the smart thing... you don't want to piss off a royal, especially the favoured son of the Emperor."

Kallen felt her stomach flip, but at the same time, she could hear the truth in the Ludus master's words. _Angering a royal could have dangerous consequences_ , taking a breath, she nodded, "Alright."

They came back out into the yard in short order, the knight was still there, waiting patiently with his horse. He turned as they approached, and Kallen returned the bow the knight had given her earlier, "Please tell your lord, I would be most honoured to accept, however, I'm afraid I don't really have anything matching the dress code, of the establishment he wishes to meet at."

The knight waved a hand, "Not to worry, that's already being handled," he said, a smile on his face

Kallen blinked at that, but nodded all the same, "Okay then... I look forward to meeting him then."

The knight bowed once more, "He shall be most pleased to hear that my lady, farewell." With that, the knight mounted his horse once more and left

Kallen watched him go, her stomach churning with unease, _what have I just gotten myself into?_

* * *

"Want us to go in with you?" Krem asked later that evening as they sat around their usual table

Kallen shook her head as she downed her mug of ale, "Nah, I think I'll be fine on my own."

"What makes you say that?" Tamaki asked

Kallen held up the letter she still had, "This," she said, before flattening it out onto the table, and reading out loud. "To Lady Kallen of Pendragon Ludus, your fight last week was a display of pure brilliance, power and passion, I see great potential in you. I would like to meet to discuss your future career, if you are interested, please inform the knight who delivered this letter, and come to the La Ratatouille in the Verchon district... Warmest regards, L.v.B... I assume those are his initials, kinda surprised I didn't figure that one out when I first saw them."

Teal'c shrugged, "Could have been anyone, you know these Britannians and their fancy names."

Tamaki snorted, "You're telling me... spirits if I never hear another it will be too soon," he grumbled

Kallen frowned at this as she put the letter away, "Bad experiences?"

Tamaki gave a harsh bark of laughter, "You could say that Red, perhaps worse than yours."

"Oh," Kallen ventured, eyebrow raised

Tamaki stared at her, "That's right, I forgot, you were born here weren't you." Kallen just nodded, "When was your mother taken exactly?"

Kallen shrugged, "About eighteen years ago, she didn't like to talk about it much."

"I'm not surprised, that would have been about the beginning of the raids... very few of our people like to talk about that time," Tamaki stated

"Raids?" Kallen asked, now curious

Tamaki glanced at Krem, "Heh, don't look at me, I was never in the military, private guard I was."

Tamaki sighed, putting down his mug and pulling out his charm, he stared at it for several moments, "I only know what I've been told about that time... I was just a kid when it started, barely five years old." No one spoke as Tamaki turned his charm between his fingers, then, "It began with whole villages and towns disappearing overnight... no one knew why or how it was happening, travellers or traders would come into the towns and find them deserted, sometimes burned to the ground. At first we thought it was angry spirits and the priests attempted to appease them, but the spirits declared that it wasn't them, that something had come to the Isles, something _hungry_."

Kallen gave a start at Tamaki's words, her own thoughts about the strange dream she'd had returned. _Something in the dark... something..._ _ **hungry**_

"People started ranting about the end of days, but it didn't take long for the truth to be revealed, several clans fortified their towns and put up permanent watches through the night. The plan worked, to an extent... the heightened guard meant that when the Britannians came again, they didn't get everyone. After that, word spread quickly to the other clans... invaders had arrived on our shores, and were trying to kidnap our people. The clans responded violently... unfortunately, we underestimated our enemy, and while fighting alone, we were no match for them."

"Why on earth would you take them on alone... if their kidnapping your people, without regard for what clan they belong to, surely it would be smarter to work together?" Kallen asked

Tamaki shrugged, "You're asking the wrong guy there Kallen, I was still just a kid at this point... I had no clue what was going on or why... all I knew was the adults were very upset."

"So what happened after you got your butts handed to you?" Krem asked

Tamaki scowled at her, before launching back into his tale, "People panicked, everyone started voicing solutions and potential ideas but no one could agree on anything, meanwhile the raids continued... finally, a man named Kyoshiro Tohdoh stepped up, declaring that the clans had to untie against a common enemy... he was instantly shouted down."

"Why?" Kallen asked, eyebrow raised

"Because the man was an outcast... he'd abandoned the code that the clans lived by... and dishonoured not only himself but his entire family in doing so... not to mention the fact that the clans had lived separately for generations, and that wasn't likely to change," Tamaki explained. "But as the raids continued and the clans continued to argue, some began to see merits in Tohdoh's ideas. He was able to gather a small cadre of followers that he began using to counter attack against the Britannians, with success. During their first few years, Tohdoh and his followers managed to save at least a dozen settlements, with minimal losses, and also taking a number of captives, who were later interrogated."

"It was from these prisoners we learned the identity and language of our enemy, it became common practice to teach the language to our children, so they could understand our enemy, for the purposes of spying. Meanwhile, Tohdoh went from success to success, and because he and his followers flew no clan banner, the Britannians couldn't tell who was leading this new force against them... of course, it couldn't last forever. Eventually, Tohdoh and his troupe got found out, but by then it had grown from a small handful of warriors, to a small army, and Tohdoh's successes had drawn the eyes of the clans, to the point that many clan leaders went ahead and defied tradition, by publicly joining Tohdoh and his army."

"With his new support, Tohdoh turned away the largest Britannian raid yet, preventing the Britannians from taking anyone, and forcing them to return home empty handed. He even managed to capture half a dozen of the ocean going vessels the Britannians used to cross the sea, and after interrogating the sailors they'd captured with them, Tohdoh's forces learned how to sail those ships. After that, the clan's view of Tohdoh changed... no longer was he 'Tohdoh the Outcast', he was now 'Tohdoh the Miracle Worker'."

Kallen stared at Tamaki, her jaw resting on the table, Tamaki chuckled at her reaction, "Just imagine what it was like growing up, while hearing about his exploits," he said. "Me and all the other youngsters _idolised_ Tohdoh, we all wanted to help in our own way."

Kallen now frowned, "Wait... I thought you said you were a woodcutter?"

Tamaki now smirked, "I was... it was my job to find the best lumber for Tohdoh's fortifications... and if necessary, I was trained to fight as well... everyone had to do their part to defend the Isles, no matter what." The pride was shining off Tamaki like a lighthouse

"Too bad your winning streak didn't last," Krem stated

Tamaki once again scowled at her, before heaving a sigh, "Unfortunately yes."

Kallen looked back and forth between them, "What do you mean, what happened?"

Tamaki stared into his drink for a long moment, before looking up, his eyes haunted, "Britannia finally took the gloves off." Kallen felt a shiver run up her spine from Tamaki's words, "About eight years ago, our scout ships reported sighting Britannian sails in a large bank of sea fog heading for the Isles, Tohdoh mobilized everything, bringing all the available military force we had to meet this next raid... only... it _wasn't_ a raid." Tamaki began twirling the charm between his fingers again, "We were all gathered, waiting for the Britannians to arrive. I remember hearing someone call out when the first Britannian masts became visible through the fog. Everyone waited, tense... and then... the fog cleared... and we realised the true scope of the beast that had come to our Isles.

Kallen's body felt numb as Tamaki recounted the story, "In the previous raids, the most ships we'd seen were a few dozen... this time... this time there were _hundreds_... the entire eastern horizon was filled with ships, of all shapes and sizes, most of what we had assumed to be a bank of fog, were merely the sails, blended in with a pall of thick sea mist... it was the most terrifying sight I'd ever seen... and it appeared Tohdoh agreed with me... because he ordered an immediate retreat and evacuation. We turned tail and ran, abandoning the eastern third of the Isles to the Britannians, whole villages and towns were emptied, crops were torched, and mines were collapsed, we left nothing for the Britannians."

"We withdrew to the mountainous western half of the Isles, where Tohdoh had us begin setting up fortresses to hold off the Britannians while he thought of a way to beat them... and that's how things have been ever since... every month, the Britannians fling themselves out our defences, and every month we drive them back." Tamaki's voice now turned remorseful, "But every month, we also lose brothers, sisters... sons and daughters... we bleed, but Britannia remains strong."

Kallen stared at Tamaki, her eyes wide, Tamaki then glanced up at her, "Still want to meet this Prince alone Kallen?"

Kallen gulped, "I'm beginning to have my doubts," she replied, before flagging down a member of the kitchen staff, to get her another mug of ale

* * *

Kallen walked down the well kept street, the Verchon district was one of the nicer parts of the city, a borderline middle/upper class area, filled with the finest residences, shops selling luxury clothing, food, furniture, and more. The area was also famous for its many temples and amphitheatres, meaning it received quite a lot of tourists, which also attracted the construction of some of the finest restaurants in the Empire. They were a relatively new sensation that only the rich could afford, essentially, they were taverns that had removed anything that might be considered remotely _common_ and had developed a system, which catered purely to the upper class

So it was no surprise to Kallen that upon reaching 'La Ratatouille', she was stopped at the door

"I'm sorry miss, but I'm afraid we don't allow vagrants in here," the doorman said, his black tunic pressed and immaculate

"I'm expected, name, Kallen," she stated

The doorman frowned, and proceeded to check a list that he had with him, it took him several moments, but eventually, she saw his eyes widen as he found her name. He looked back at Kallen, his eyes examining her. She'd decided to wear the trousers and shirt that she had worn under her armour, as they were slightly better make than her tunics. "M-my apologies miss... I was not expecting..."

Kallen waved her hand, "Forget it," she said cutting across him, "I was told some more appropriate attire was going to be made available for me?"

The man blinked, before comprehension dawned, "Ah yes, yes of course." The man clapped his hands and a couple of female servants rushed up, "Please show Miss Kallen to the restrooms, and help her with her dining attire."

"Oh no, its okay I can do it my..." but Kallen didn't get a chance to finish as the two servants practically dragged her away

Kallen emerged from the restrooms fifteen minutes later, dressed in a sheer red dress, held up with a strap over one shoulder. Her hair had been styled into an elaborate formation, held together by a number of pins and clips, cleverly disguised by jewellery across their surface. Her face had been dusted with an ever so slight application of makeup, and her lips had been given a coat of red lipstick. Her thoughts as to _what_ this meeting would turn into were growing ever more concerning by the minute, and if it was going where Kallen suspected it was going, then she had a feeling she'd probably be wanted for treason by the end of the day

She was led into the restaurant proper, past tables of nobles who all looked up to follow her progress through the room. At first, Kallen thought they could see through the disguise she was wearing, and knew she didn't belong. As they went further though, she could see the looks morphing into curiosity, and confusion. She soon understood why

At the very back, was a set of steps that led up to a balcony, that overlooked the entire district, even from her current vantage, Kallen knew the view would be stunning. This she realised was the VIP seating area, and there was only _one_ table set up here. Seated at said table, was the Black Prince, talking animatedly with a blonde woman around the same age as him. The noble's looks went from curiosity to shock, as the servant escorting Kallen, brought her up the steps, straight to the Black Prince's table

The Prince looked up as they cleared the last few steps, a broad smile stretching his lips. The servant bowed, "Miss Kallen has arrived your grace," she said, before backing away

"Kallen of Pendragon Ludus, welcome, please have a seat," the Prince said, gesturing to the empty seat between him and his companion

"My apologies for intruding," Kallen stated, glancing in the blonde woman's direction

"Oh please, there's no need for that... after all, _we_ invited you here," the woman replied

Kallen blinked in confusion, "My apologies, introductions are in order," the Prince stated, "I' am Lelouch vi Britannia, second prince of the Empire and 3rd in line for the throne." He then gestured to his companion, "This is my betrothed, Millicent Ashford."

"A pleasure, but please, call me Milly."

Kallen blinked, this wasn't at all what she'd been expecting, "I'm afraid the waiter has already taken our table's order, so we've had to order for you... I hope you like roast duck," Lelouch stated as a servant poured Kallen a glass of wine

The familiarity of the subject, broke Kallen out of her shock, "When your raised a slave you eat what gets put in front of you, otherwise you starve."

Lelouch smirked, "A fair point," he now turned to Milly, "Was that dress _really_ necessary?"

"You know how I _love_ teasing you dearest," Milly replied, cheeky grin plastered across her face

Kallen sipped at the wine, which was very good in her opinion, then decided it was time to get down to business. "Please forgive me your majesty... but I'm a little confused as to why I'm here?"

Lelouch smiled as he sat back, "Straight to business I see, good... in answer to your question Kallen, I have one for you... what do you think of the state of this city, of the Empire in general?"

Kallen frowned, "I don't follow?"

Lelouch now sat forward, "You've lived in this city long enough... how does the treatment of the lower classes make you feel... are you sympathetic to them... indifferent?"

The pieces clicked, and Kallen's face turned sombre, "So many people live in poverty in this city... and the conditions their forced to endure are _terrible_... but that's just the way things are... you got Nobles at the top, Plebs at the bottom, and the merchants making a fat pile of cash out of both of them."

Lelouch gave a small chuckle, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Quite... do you perhaps know _why_ the Empire is like this... why some parts seem to be stuck in the classical era, while others have advanced... why the plebs suffer under the boot heel of the nobility?"

Kallen shook her head, as their food arrived

"A history lesson then," Lelouch stated, as he began to eat, Kallen and Milly following suit

"About five centuries ago, the nation of Britannia was ruled by my great, great, great grandfather, he envisioned a world untied under a single banner, _Britannia's_ banner. To see this vision come to pass, he began a campaign of conquest and political intrigue, which continues to this day. However, in its opening salvoes, this campaign caused incredible upheaval across the continent. It wasn't long before war had erupted across the continent, fighting was rampant and uncontrolled, a nation who had been an ally yesterday, became an enemy the next day. Distrust, backstabbing, and betrayal were rife, and it caused a complete breakdown of the lifeblood of every nation... trade."

Kallen listened intently, she hadn't taken as much interest in her sibling's history lessons, they hadn't seemed important to her goals, now she was rather wishing she had

"Trade began to break down between the different nations of the continent, and before long, the economies of _every_ nation began to crumble, _including_ Britannia's. The merchants of the disparate nations were hit hardest of all, trade was their livelihood, without it, they were no better than peasants. Eventually, a number of them decided they'd had enough, despite all being from different nations – enemies, in a sense – this group banded together, took their families and anyone who would follow or work for them, and departed for a small island off the western coast. There they made their home, and began trading with anyone who happened to come by, and since this island was situated at the delta of a major river that ran straight through the continent to the Arbor mountains, that was basically _everyone_."

Milly spoke up now, "This settlement became known as Veru, and it became a safe haven from the wars on the continent, as well as a hub for international trade."

Kallen's eyes widened, as Lelouch continued the lesson, "Obviously, the idea of a place safe from the war, with plenty of food, water etc. Greatly appealed to the masses, who began flocking to the settlement in _droves_. Naturally, to the nations of the continent, who were all authoritarian in one way or another, this population shift was _terrifying_ , especially when the Council of Veru declared there would be _no_ single ruler of the city, and that those who sat on the council would be _elected_ by popular vote... a vote, made by the _people_ of Veru."

Kallen's eyes now bugged out, "Wait... the _common_ people got to decide who their leaders were... _are_!?"

Lelouch chuckled, "Not exactly, and certainly not _everyone_ in Veru."

"Votes were only given out to the upper and middle classes of the city, and even then, it was a _men_ only thing," Milly stated

Lelouch nodded, "Things have changed since then... _all_ levels of Verusian society now get to vote, but it's still very much _male_ dominated... only a few select women are given the vote, and they have to be _very_ exceptional to earn it."

Kallen shook her head in disbelief as Lelouch continued, "As I was saying, the nobility of Britannia, and many of its rivals felt threatened by this new development... so threatened, that they were willing to put aside their differences, and stamp out this little revolution before it began."

"The armies of Britannia and several other nations marched on Veru, their fleets surrounding the city, and a demand was made for the Council's surrender," Milly stated

"In response, the Council invites the leaders of every army, and a large number of their troops inside the city," Lelouch continued

"WHAT!?" Kallen exclaimed, "Are you kidding me... what kind of moron _invites_ their attackers _into_ their city!?"

Lelouch chuckled again, "I would agree with you... but in reality it was an _incredibly_ masterful play."

At Kallen's look of dumb confusion, Milly clarified, "You see, before their attackers had arrived, Veru had amounted a large amount of wealth in the form of many different goods, and every street leading to the capital building was lined with merchants hawking their wares to the soldiers as they marched through the streets."

"Each army came up a different street, so it wasn't until they reached the city centre, that they got to see how the others had reacted to this. The moment they did, the leaders of each army knew they'd been beaten," Lelouch said, a sly grin spread across his face

Kallen frowned, "What... how?"

"Think about it Kallen," Milly said, "Their soldiers – who'd all been fighting for years, were probably tired, hungry, their clothes likely ragged, and many of them probably had injuries in need of decent medical supplies – had all just marched up streets, offering the things they needed by the cartload."

Kallen continued to frown, but it slowly melted, as understanding dawned, "No... no way?"

Lelouch full on laughed now, "Yes way... by simply having the leaders of each army march through their city with some of their soldiers... the Council of Veru had just gone and bought itself five different mercenary armies, that would now do _anything_ to stop the other four from taking complete control of the city."

Kallen sat back, food forgotten, as she stared in disbelief, "That... that's..."

"Crazy?" Lelouch finished for her

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "I mean, okay sure, you've bought five armies, great, but surely their lieges would have more!?"

Lelouch nodded in acceptance, setting down his knife and fork, "Very true... which is why an agreement was made. Veru would not try to spread its egalitarian ways, nor actively poach anymore citizens from other nations. In exchange, Veru would become a neutral ground if you will, for trade, diplomacy, etc."

"The Verusian crest became synonymous with trade and wealth... if you saw the crest adorning a caravan, you left it well enough alone," Milly stated

"This ensured that trade returned to the continent, even as the war continued to rage," Lelouch added, "Eventually, with my great, great, great grandfather's death, the majority of the fighting came to an end... but it's never really stopped. However, thanks to Veru, trade continues to flow, despite any disagreements between the other nations."

Kallen sat there, eyes wide in shock as she absorbed all this information, then she shook herself and sat up, "Okay, but what does this have to do with the state of Britannia today?"

"Remember that fear I talked about... how the nobles were terrified by Verusian society?" Lelouch asked. Kallen nodded, "That fear... never went away, despite Verusian assurances... and because of that fear, and Veru's proximity to the Britannian coastline, Veru came to fear that one day, Britannia would attack them anyway. So they began building, preparing, for the day Britannia would finally come knocking."

"The Verusians didn't have much though; just a tiny island surrounded by water, the nearest land was already claimed by greater powers. So instead of focusing on sheer military strength, they decided to focus on their technology, and the technology they focused on the most, was their naval power," Milly explained

Lelouch nodded, "Unlike an army, a navy required far less manpower, especially with the advent of cannons. Suddenly, rather than simply a transport for soldiers to be used in a boarding action against an enemy vessel, now the ships _themselves_ could fight one another. The Verusians knew how revolutionary this would be for naval combat, and were the first ones to make widespread use of cannons on their warships, which became larger, faster, stronger, eventually culminating in the Ironclads they have today."

"Of course, all this innovation only _terrified_ the nobility more, and they began pushing for new military advancements themselves, as well as greater power, in order to keep the masses in line. This was sanctioned by the crown and is how we ended up with the chivalry system... unfortunately, giving the nobility more power, while it was good for administration, severely harmed the lower classes, who are now choking on the oppressive and corrupt feudal system, which is built on the template of the old patrician system."

"And how do you think Veru reacted to that?" Milly asked

Kallen saw where this was going immediately, "It became a vicious cycle, as one side grew more afraid of the other, they took steps to protect themselves, prompting the other to do the same."

"Exactly," Lelouch stated, "And this has gone on for the better part of the last five centuries."

Kallen sat forward, head in her hands, it all made such perfect sense now, the squalor, the deprivation... all of it, an endless cycle of fear and hatred. Kallen now looked up, "That still doesn't answer my original question... _why am I here_?"

Lelouch sat forward, chin resting on interlaced fingers, as he looked Kallen right in the eye, "You've seen this city Kallen... you've seen the suffering the nobles are inflicting on it..."

"I'm missing the part where I care," Kallen interrupted, "I get that this is a problem... but it's not mine... the moment I've won my freedom, I'm gone... and this country can burn in hell for all I care."

Lelouch gave her a hard stare as he delivered his next line, "You would leave your three friends at the mercy of the nobles... or worse... in the crossfire of a revolution?" Kallen raised an eyebrow at him, but he spoke again before she could respond, "What were their names again... oh yes... Shirley, Rivalz and Nina, wasn't it?"

Kallen's entire body suddenly felt like it had turned to ice, "If you dare," she growled

Lelouch gave her a pitying look, "Kallen please, give me a little credit, I'm not _that_ heartless."

"Then don't make threats," Kallen growled back

"It's not a threat," Milly said, "It's a fact... if something isn't done about this situation, then they, and everyone in this city will face the fires of revolution."

"It _will_ be brutal, it _will_ be bloody... and it won't just be in the capital... it'll happen all over the Empire... meaning nowhere will be safe," Lelouch added

Kallen stared at them both, "Okay... so fix it, you're a Prince aren't you... don't you have the power to make the nobility stop?"

Lelouch now frowned at her, "If it were that easy Kallen, don't you think I'd have done it already?"

"Only the Emperor has the power to make a decree of that magnitude, and even then... he'd still need proof of any wrong doing," Milly added

"Okay... so find the proof," Kallen replied

"Been there done that," Lelouch stated, sitting back, boredom now etched across his face, "Come on Kallen I thought you were smarter than this?"

"The nobility isn't leaving a paper trail... at least, not one we can find," Milly clarified

Kallen ground her teeth in annoyance, "Okay, appeal to the common people then, make them happy, and get them on your side."

"Oh, like with that act of barbarism called the arena," Lelouch drawled, "Let's not forget the fact, that the only ones with the power to tell the _royal_ treasury, to raise the taxes, _is_ a royal... which means, even though it's a lie... the common people believe that me and my family are to blame for their current woes."

"The arena can only alleviate so much, eventually, it's going to reach a threshold that they'll be no coming back from... we may have even passed it already," Milly added

Kallen sat there, staring into space, "Alright... but how does meeting with _me_ help you to solve this?"

Lelouch sat forward again, eyes gleaming, "This city, and others around the Empire, are powder kegs, waiting for a spark... we've tried everything we can think of to diffuse this situation... everything we've tried has failed... which leaves only _one_ course of action." Lelouch made sure to meet Kallen's eyes for the next part. "If we can't _stop_ the revolution... we may as well _start_ it, on _our_ terms."

Kallen's eyes widened to the size of their dinner plates, "Are you insane," she hissed, "You want to _deliberately_ set off a revolution, right here in the capital?"

"Last I checked I was perfectly sane," Lelouch replied, "And of course, we wouldn't let the revolution run its course."

"We set it off, we let the mob burn off some of its anger, and then we yank on the reins and bring the city back under control," Milly explained

Kallen blinked, it _sounded_ crazy, but done right, it might just work, "I still don't see why you wanted to discuss this with _me_?"

Lelouch now smirked, "Think it over, you'll figure it out."

Kallen frowned, and began mulling over everything they'd said, then the pieces clicked, and her face paled. "You need someone to set it all off," she breathed

Lelouch's smirk, turned into a toothy smile, "Exactly."

Kallen now scowled, "Go find yourself another scapegoat," she snapped, before moving to stand

Lelouch held up a hand, "Scapegoat, please Kallen... if I wanted a scapegoat, I would've manipulated you from afar."

"We have no intention of hanging you out to dry once this matter is resolved," Milly said

Kallen continued to scowl, "Why should I believe you?"

Lelouch's smirk returned, it was really beginning to annoy her, "For one, you still have a job thanks to me... for another... I can give you whatever it is you want in exchange... name your price."

Kallen paused, _any price... anything I want_. It was tantalizing, and Kallen knew that, if things continued as they were here in Pendragon, the populous would rise up on their own, and it wouldn't be pretty. Tens of thousands of people would die... and she could prevent that, all she had to do was play ball with the Prince's plan

"I can have anything?" Kallen asked, eyeing the prince wearily. Lelouch simply nodded, to which Kallen took a deep breath. _Should I get involved in this... mire myself in Britannian politics?_

Suddenly, Kallen winced as her dream returned

 _You stand upon the edge_

 _Your fate woven by a single thread_

 _Fate falls to you_

 _The Demons knock at your door_

 _Restless one_

 _Each night you shall hear the drums of War_

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

 _Our voices call to your hunger_

 _Taste the destiny you're searching for_

 _Awaken_

 _Awaken_

 _The fight is at our door_

 _Take up your cause_

Kallen shook off the dream

"Are you okay?" Milly asked

Kallen nodded, and then turned back to Lelouch, "You said anything, yes?"

"Within reason," Lelouch replied

Kallen nodded, preparing herself for what she was about to do, "I intend to win my freedom, and buy my mother's... I can't exactly do that if I'm to be your little revolutionary... so in exchange for me helping you... you guarantee mine and her freedom, along with a boat to take us back to Japan."

"Kallen..." Milly began, before Lelouch cut her off

"Done."

"Lelou!" Milly cried in exasperation

"Later Milly," he replied, before turning back to Kallen, "Do we have a deal?" he asked, hand extended

Kallen nodded, and shook his hand, "It appears we do, your majesty."

* * *

 **And that's it for this update, and I'm sorry to say but I' am now drawing the line. 'The Storm and the Hawk' is begging for attention and I've left it long enough, so I will be returning to that one, and probably doing the next chapter of Stellaris after that, so a new update for Awaken will take a while**

 **On the upside, I'm going to have lots of time to read your guy's opinion on the story so far, and if I'm being honest, I can't wait, so**

 **Hope you guys liked these two chapters, please don't forget to review, and as always, constructive criticism is welcome**

 **See you all next time ; )**


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely because I want it to

 **We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we Wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS... and a Happy, New, YEAR!**

 **Hello all and welcome back, I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas so far, and Yes, I know this is ever so slightly late, but I couldn't leave 2019 behind without giving you guys, a little Christmas present, so here it is**

 **First things first, Reviews**

 **First up, KMF-G: I know I already sent you a message running over your points, but I wanted to do so again, in case anyone else has these issues. So let's start with the number of Gladiators, I do actually state the exact starting number, which is 15, but I will concede, my wording was not the best, and I can see how you would be confused. To clear things up, I meant to say, that there were half as many gladiators as they were slaves, and there were 30 slaves total, and half of 30 is 15. Sorry this wasn't all that clear when I first wrote this up, I'm considering going back and cleaning it up some, but I dislike going back over things, I prefer double checking, triple checking, and even quadruple checking to make sure I got everything right, and even then, somethings slip through the cracks. Now for Titles... yea I'll give you that one, I messed up, mainly it was me not wanting to reuse the same word in the same sentance, and me thinking they basically meant the same thing, thanks for setting me straight on this one, and I'll try to not make the same mistake again. Next the Bradley Brothers, as previous chapters have pointed out, they were being payed to kill Kallen (if this wasn't obvious enough in chapter 2, I may just have to crank it up a notch), also, Leviticus and Luciano were not aware of her combat skills, they thought she'd be easy pickings, armed or not, and finally, you have to remember the situation. Both Kallen and Teal'c wore nothing but grey tunics and whatever underclothes they had on, that was it, one hit from the mace would have been fatal, as I pointed out during the fight itself, while Leviticus is in full armour, and as the cherry on top, Kallen and Teal'c were chained together, limiting their mobility. For a seasoned Gladiator like Leviticus, the match up should have been a breeze, but his own arrogance was his downfall. Next up, the slave plaything issue, again, this is one that I probably could have worded better, but basically, its not the concept of this itself that's shocking to Jerry or Lelouch (Milly is angry for her own reasons), it's the fact that Stadtfeld allowed Naomi to _keep_ the child (aka Kallen). Going off the nobility I' am partially basing this story on, Nobles in ancient Rome typically tried to avoid getting their slaves pregnant, so that they don't produce illegitimate heirs. The same social stigma applies here, if the other nobles learn that Kallen is Stadtfeld's daughter, it could severally damage his reputation (More on this coming up). And finally, about Lelouch... I think you might be forgetting that Cannon Lelouch was very much the same, disaproving of corruption and excess from the Nobility at the expense of others ('Corrupt filth' I believe the quote was), I'm going into this whole issue early on in this chapter, so I don't feel the need to discuss it much here, but basically, Lelouch isn't a Liberal, or a democrat in this story, but he IS a 'Man of the People', and yes, even in an Autocracy, you can get, 'Men of the People'. Hope this clears things up for you, and if you still have questions, drop a review, or PM me and I'll discuss it further (no spoilers of course).**

 **Next, MM Browsing: Glad to see your enjoying this story my friend, and yes, I'm kinda mixing magic, mythical beasts, and steam-powered tech into this story, all of which are elements that will be brought up later on, and in ever increasing ways (and yes, I did think Griffins suited Cornelia very well, and were a worthy replacement for Knightmares ; ) ). As for the return to Japan well... _THUNK_... damm anti-spoiler system**

 **and finally, ArtoriasHellkite: Glad to hear, and BUCKLE UP, its gonna be one WILD ride**

 **Now, with that out the way, let's get started shall we... oh before I forget, when you see text like this**

 _ **"qwerty"**_

 **This is a voice only Kallen can hear, keep an eye out for it, it pops up a couple of times this chapter**

 **with that done**

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Awaken, enjoy

* * *

 _ **Schemes and Secrets**_

"Huh," was the first word to leave Kallen's mouth, as she stepped from the carriage and up to the open front door of the building, that the Prince and his betrothed had brought her to

"What?" Lelouch asked, eyebrow raised

"Oh, it's nothing… this is just a… humbler, place than I was expecting," Kallen replied

Lelouch gave her a sly smile, "Oh, you were expecting a miniature palace I take it?"

Kallen's cheeks began turning the same shade as her hair, "Actually… yeah."

"Lelouch doesn't care for all that finery… we don't even really have that many servants, just enough to keep the place all ordered and tidy, and they're all well payed of course," Milly stated

Kallen looked the building over once more. Okay, to be fair, it was still at least two stories, and was fairly large, but it lacked the ostentatious flair that Kallen had grown so used to, growing up in her father's house. There were no elaborately decorated marble columns, framing the doorway, instead, two simple stone columns stood in their place. The outside walls were painted with a simple and soothing sky-blue paint, rather than the frescos that adorned the walls of other noble houses. Inside the atrium, there was a simple stone fountain, with walls that eschewed the usual paintings and decorations, and instead had walls of vines and flowers hanging from them at regular intervals

All in all, it was… _nice_ , nothing about it was overdone or gaudy, but it still got the message across to visitors that this was the house of someone of importance

She turned back to her hosts, as a female knight strode up to them, "Your Highness, I have the reports you requested," she stated while bowing, her blue-teal locks shimmering in the light pouring in from the skylight overhead

"Thank you Villetta, that will be all," Lelouch replied, to which Villetta straightened, nodded and left. Kallen glanced at Lelouch once she'd gone, "Villetta is one of my personal knights, along with Jeremiah, the man who delivered the invitation to you."

Kallen nodded in understanding, then a question rose in her mind, "So, why does a _Prince_ and his _fiancée_ live in such a humble house… at least, compared to the other nobility?" The two of them glanced at each other before Kallen spoke again, "For that matter… why don't you live in the palace?"

The change was instantaneous, one second, Lelouch had an easy going look about him, the next, his entire body had stiffened, and his face became a visage of pure fury. Kallen felt her stomach flip, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Milly beat her to it. "There are multiple reasons Kallen, one of the most major, being that we're both disgusted with the excess of the nobility." She then gestured to the house they were in, "We try to set an example with this place, but it doesn't have much effect."

Kallen frowned now, "Isn't that just the way the nobility is… I mean, they're always trying to one up each other in whatever way possible."

"That doesn't mean they should do so at the expense of the common people," Lelouch growled, his voice causing an icy chill to settle in the room

Kallen glanced at him, then shook her head sadly, "That's just how a stratified economy works, can't change that." _No matter how much I wish we could_ , she thought to herself

Now it was Lelouch's turn to glance at her, before turning towards her fully, making sure their eyes made contact. "Would you care to explain the _intricacies_ of that to the farmers, who must weep over their dead children, who have starved, after the _nobility_ , took all the food they make, because they could not afford to pay the taxes, that the _nobility_ keeps raising?" Kallen flinched at Lelouch's cold, wrathful tone, but maintained eye contact. "Or perhaps you could console the families of the miners and quarry workers who get crushed by rubble from shoddily made tunnels, because the _nobles_ don't want to spend money on proper construction work," Kallen felt something cold settle in her gut. "Or maybe I should send you to the Tantar District, where you'll find thirteen-year-old girls working in the brothels, just to get enough money for their families to buy food."

"Okay… I get it…" Kallen replied timidly, backing away from him

"No, you don't," he snapped, "I get that we need the nobility at the top and the plebs at the bottom… I may not _like_ the system, but right now it's all we have… so if it's a choice between that and anarchy, I'd rather have the former." Lelouch now took a deep calming breath, when he next spoke, it was with a vitriol that caused bile to rise in Kallen's throat. "But what I _cannot abide_ , is the nobility working the people to the bone, and then exploiting them with these _ridiculous_ taxes… all to fund the excessive lifestyles that the nobility enjoys… and have done _nothing_ to earn!"

The room was dead silent for several minutes, then after taking another breath, Lelouch spoke again, in a softer voice, one tinged with a small amount of pride. "Once upon a time, the nobility was a shining beacon of order, class and honour, they were the guiding hand behind the Empire, the Generals, the diplomats, the great writers, philosophers and thinkers… now…" his voice turned solemn once more. "Most are little more than money grubbing backstabbers, who whore themselves out for my _father's_ favour."

Kallen stared at the Prince as if she was seeing him for the first time, suddenly, somethings were beginning to add up, but there were still some blanks. "So, what then… you'd make every man a noble would you?"

And just like that, Lelouch's melancholy look vanished, and was replaced with one of mirth, "Oh gods no… that would be an absolute disaster," he chuckled

"What then?" Kallen pressed

After taking a second to calm down, Lelouch responded, "The system works fine so long as it's not abused… which at the moment it is… what I want to stop, is that abuse, rebalance the scales and wipe away the corruption that has infected the nobility… that's all, couldn't be simpler."

Kallen now frowned and crossed her arms, unintentionally, pushing up her bust in the silk dress, Lelouch had to fight to keep his eyes level with hers. "So, you're not really doing this for the common people then?"

"You think so?" Milly trilled, "Once we're done, taxes should go back down… reparations will be made to the worst affected by what the nobility has done under the Crown's nose."

"Mines will be repaired and improved, farms will be given subsidies to get back on their feet and become productive once more, all of which will create jobs for those who have none, such as the majority of people in the slums," Lelouch stated, listing each point off on his fingers

"Which will cause crime rates to plummet, individual wealth to increase, and the potential to improve life in the slums, maybe even some renovation work to make them better places to live," Milly chimed in

"And that will put an end to some of the more distasteful forms of child labour, though that can't be eliminated entirely… but at least it will be reduced and done better," Lelouch finished, giving Kallen a smug look at the end

Kallen stared at them, mouth agape, before finally finding her voice, "How long have you been planning this exactly?"

Milly chuckled here, "Trust me Kallen, you don't want to know."

"Too long," Lelouch agreed, "Eight long and exhausting years."

 _Wait… eight years?_ Kallen blinked, "What happened eight years ago to set you on this path?"

The mirth faded, and a shadow seemed to cross over Lelouch's face as he turned away. Milly took up the thread instead, "That was when Lelouch's mother, Empress Marianne, was assassinated, also…" Milly trailed off and glanced in Lelouch's direction

Kallen followed her gaze to see Lelouch standing in front of the atrium's pool fountain, his shoulders tense, "My sister, Nunnally, was caught in the crossfire… in a single day, I lost everything I cared about… and my father did _nothing_ to stop or punish the perpetrators."

Kallen felt a lead weight settle in her stomach, "Lelouch, I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"No, it's fine, you've been truthful with me, it's only fair I return the favour," he took a breath before turning back to face them. "Come on, we'll talk more in the study," he said, waving them down a corridor leading off from the atrium. As they walked, Lelouch continued, "After the assassination, Milly's family, the Ashford's, took me in," He glanced over his shoulder at them, "Milly and I practically grew up together."

Milly shot him a smile and picked up where he left off, "As Lelouch and I grew closer, my Grandfather, Ruben Ashford, suggested a betrothal, and Lelouch's father agreed."

Lelouch chuckled, "Neither of us was particularly happy about the whole thing, me especially, it felt like my father was trying to rope me back into royal politics." He then paused, turning half back around as he opened the door to the study, giving them both a playful smile, "Then Milly here convinces me that the arrangement would give us both an excuse to be around each other, practically twenty four-seven, which would make planning our schemes to make the Empire a better place, that much easier."

The pieces were starting to come together for Kallen, as Lelouch led her to a soft seat, around a small table, upon which was already arrayed a pot of tea, some cups and a plate of biscuits. "And you've been partners in crime ever since," Kallen replied

Again, that smug smirk, "Pretty much."

Kallen rolled her eyes at his antics as Milly sat and began pouring the tea. "Okay, so you've told me what the ultimate goal is, you've told me your motives… but you haven't told me how you expect me to pull all this off."

"We've taken care of all the minor details already," Milly stated as she handed Kallen her cup

Lelouch nodded as he sat, "You won't have to worry about reining in the mob once we get what we want, we'll handle that… in fact, your price for doing this, may even help with that." Kallen raised a sceptical eyebrow as she lifted her teacup to her lips, Lelouch chuckled, "Think about it, the great instigator of the riot disappears, just as the Praetorian Guard, come to the assistance of the City Guard."

Understanding washed over Kallen like a wave, "It would take the mob's fighting spirit away."

"Exactly, we could even claim that you'd fallen in battle, but it really wouldn't matter, if things work as I expect them too, then simply losing their hero will cause the mob's morale to curdle," Lelouch stated

"And what exactly did you have in mind?" Kallen asked, teacup coming to rest on the table once more

Lelouch now smiled, it was a smile Kallen was becoming to recognise as his 'devious' smile, "Simple really… everyone loves a hero, and that's exactly what you're going to become."

Kallen gave him a confused stare, so Milly elaborated, "We have a series of fights in the arena planned out, over the next two months, which will culminate in a showdown, with Leonidas Maximus."

Kallen started at the name, "Wait, Leonidas… as in, the _People's Champion_!?"

"Ah so you know of him," Lelouch said, smug smirk back on his face

"Know him, he's only the greatest gladiator of his generation, the people love him… hell _I'm_ a fan of his," Kallen exclaimed

Lelouch nodded, "Exactly… and it seems the old boy is looking to retire… but he can't just hang up his sword, he has to do this properly."

"Which is why he wants the best fighters from across the Empire to be tested in the arena, he's currently touring some other major cities, he'll pick one gladiator from each one to fight in the showdown," Milly explained

"Leonidas is looking for someone to take up his mantle as the 'People's Champion', which means he's looking for not only a good fighter, but a true warrior and hero," Lelouch said, "Now if you ask me, he's going about it all wrong… which is why I've decided to give him a helping hand… not that he knows of course."

He smirked again as Kallen felt her eye twitch at it, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We want to get _you_ , into the showdown," Milly stated, as Kallen whirled to her, face incredulous, "Which means we'll be pitting you up against some of the best fighters Pendragon's arena has, and you need to win."

Kallen shook her head, "Okay, assuming I actually manage _that_ … how is beating Leonidas going to help!?"

Once again, that smug smirk returned, actually, had it ever left, or was that Lelouch's permanent look. "But you're _not_ going to beat him," Kallen blinked in confusion, "When the showdown comes, it will be Leonidas against 8 of the best gladiators in the Empire… hardly fair odds, given the old boy's age."

Milly now joined Lelouch in the smug smirking, "So, what do you say we give the old boy a helping hand, after all… every good hero needs a sidekick, now don't they."

Kallen looked between them, utterly lost… then slowly she processed what they'd said, and a slow grin began spreading across her face

"See… I knew you'd come around," Lelouch smirked

* * *

Sayoko stepped off the ramp and onto the dockyards of Veru, her three-week journey finally over, just as with her last few visits to the city, it was bustling and crowded, a far cry from her homeland. She pulled her hood a little closer over her head and set off. She'd barely been walking for ten minutes, when a city guard stepped into her path. She didn't even look up, just preceded to fall into step behind him, she followed him to a small building just off the docks. Inside were more guards, watching the streets outside, a few nodded to Sayoko as she passed, but none spoke. Finally, they reached a back room, and inside, sat a single female guard of average height, with long blonde hair, two bangs framing her face and two egg shaped buns held up by gold braces. Her uniform was a bright blue, and bore the crest of the city guard, a falcon, flying across the sun. Attached to her lapel was a silver bar with a single golden stripe

The guard who had escorted Sayoko, saluted and left without a word, while Sayoko stood in front of the table, till the door had closed behind him. The moment it had, she lowered her hood

"Good to see you again," Sayoko said with a smile, "Captain Leila Malcal."

Leila smiled in return, "And you, Sayoko-san… what brings you to my city?"

Sayoko sat in the chair opposite her, "I need to get to Pendragon."

Leila's eyes widened a fraction, "Isn't that like walking into the lion's den?"

"Exactly like that, but I have information that a fellow Japanese is being held there in the arena, I've been tasked with rescuing them," Sayoko replied

Leila now frowned, "The Britannians took many Japanese from your homeland, you never rescued them…. what makes this one special?"

"Because the Spirit's answered their pleas," Sayoko replied instantly

Neither spoke for a long moment, then Leila smirked, "I may have just the ship for you." Sayoko returned the smirk, "After all, I do owe you a favour… or two."

* * *

The roar of the crowd surrounded Kallen, as she twirled through the dust kicked up from the fight, her blade a blur as she effortlessly duelled with her opponent. The blades clashed once more, sparks flying as Kallen slid her blade down her opponents, before twisting his blade out of his grip. Before he could recover, she slashed her blade across his upper arm, leaving a deep gash that began oozing blood. Her opponent cried out, his good arm coming to grip his injured one, before Kallen floored him with a kick to the guts. She raised her blade to finish him, but he flung his injured arm up, signalling his yield, and the crowd cheered

"Red wolf! Red Wolf! Red Wolf!"

Kallen revelled in the name, and the cheers of the crowd, as she turned from her fallen opponent, to her remaining one. The gladiator's eyes widened at her advance, eyes drawn to her sword, dripping blood on the sand

" _ **Yes, go on, KILL THE WEAKLING!"**_

Kallen's right eye twitched, that was yet another thing she'd gotten used to since her fight with Crassus, the presence of that Voice. It rarely, if ever answered questions, in fact, it hadn't really told her much of anything, just cryptic words that made no sense to her. She'd brought up the phrases to Tamaki, but he was just as confused as she was. Most of the time, the Voice, could be ignored, it was nothing but a light whispering in the back of her mind… but in battle, when her life was on the line, when her blood _sang_ with the fury of combat… it was always _there_ egging her on, pushing her, driving her to _kill_

So far, she'd managed to control it… so far, and today was no exception

She refocussed her attention on the gladiator, in time to stop his wild swing, after two weeks of relentless fighting, Kallen was simply not interested in the simple gladiators Lelouch kept throwing at her. In one deft move, she had disarmed him, and brought the point of her sword to his neck, ready to drive it home, while one hand grabbed the man's arm, holding him in place

"Yield, or your life is forfeit," she growled

The man stared at her with wide terrified eyes, which darted to his fallen comrade, to her blade, and finally back to her cold, ice blue eyes

"I-I yield, I yield!" he cried, terror plain in his voice, barely audible over the roar of the crowd, which only doubled once they heard it

Kallen released his arm, causing the gladiator to fall backwards onto the sand, before turning to the crowd, arms raised in victory, drinking in the applause. She looked over to the VIP box where Lelouch and Milly were sat, both smiling, before Lelouch nodded to the announcer, who stepped up to the edge, to end the match. Before he could speak though, his eyes widened in shock

Kallen frowned in confusion, then the Voice returned

" _ **Behind you!"**_

Kallen whirled, narrowly missing having a knife driven into her neck, as it was, she hissed as the tip of the blade grazed her cheek, just below her eye. The gladiator who she had just bested, tried to stab her again, attacking furiously, with a desperation Kallen had never seen before

" _ **Stop playing, kill him, NOW!"**_ The Voice roared, Kallen tried to ignore it, but with every slash of the knife, it became harder

"Stop now, the fight's over, you lost!" Kallen yelled

"Didn't stop you," the gladiator growled, "And if I don't do this… it won't be me who pays the price!"

Kallen felt a chill creep up her spine at those words, but they also hardened her resolve, she prepared to disarm him again, only to feel something hit her left leg. She looked down to see the injured gladiator had grabbed hold of her to keep her in place

"DO IT, NOW!" the injured gladiator roared, at which his knife wielding comrade leapt at her, knife raised to strike and end her life

" _ **KILL THEM, KILL THEM BOTH, OR YOU WILL DIE!"**_ the Voice roared, louder than Kallen had ever heard before, as red crossed her vision

She stabbed downwards, her blade taking the injured gladiator in the eye socket, causing him to scream in agony and roll away. She then turned her attention to the second gladiator and was able to raise her blade in time to prevent him from striking a fatal blow, instead her shoulder flared in burning pain, as the knife sank home into the muscle. As the second gladiator collided with her, they went tumbling to the ground, the man yanked the knife from her shoulder, and raised it again to strike. Before he could, Kallen slashed her blade between them, shoulder protesting at the movement, but the red haze helped her fight through the pain. Blood spurted, splattering Kallen's face, as the man attempted to gasp for breath that wouldn't come, free hand reaching for the gash, that now split his neck open

The knife fell from his hands, landing harmlessly in the sand next to them, before he too, toppled off her, twitching and squirming as he bled out on the sand. The crowd had gone silent, but upon seeing Kallen victorious, the arena was filled with their cheers again. Kallen stood, grimacing at the burning pain in her shoulder, as the announcer closed out the match

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, your victor…. KALLEN!"

The crowd roared, the sound reverberating around the arena, but today, Kallen ignored it, choosing instead to kneel next to the injured gladiator. She grabbed him by the front of his armoured vest, glaring at him, "Who put you up to this!" she yelled over the crowd's roar

The man simply glared back, before spitting in her face, "Go to hell, HALF-BLOOD!" the man spat, before medics rushed over, taking him from Kallen's grip and whisking him out of the arena

* * *

Ten minutes later, found Kallen in the recovery room, shoulder cleaned, stitched and bandaged, washing her face of the blood splattered across it. Krem sat across from her, waiting with towels and a fresh change of clothes. "What does that make it now, attempt number three?" she asked, as she tossed Kallen a towel to dry off

"Four," Kallen responded, as she caught the towel, "In almost as many days."

"You sure are popular in all the wrong ways with someone, eh Red?"

Kallen gave her a half-hearted scowl, but soon turned back to the water basin in front of her, staring at her reflection. "I lost control again Krem," she said, quietly

Krem glanced at her, "You had good reason to, if you hadn't done it, they'd have killed you," Krem replied

"I know that… I know this is ultimately about survival… but still… every time it happens, it feels like there's a part of me that wants to do nothing but fight… destroy… kill… and it scares me… it scares me… because I _like_ the way it feels." Kallen was loathe to admit the thoughts she'd just spoken out loud to Krem, it made her feel like a scared little girl

Krem stood, and handed Kallen the fresh clothes, "You like to fight, and your good at it, it's only natural that your own personal demons would take that to an extreme… just remember… they can _only_ control you, if you let them."

Kallen nodded, and began getting dressed, at the end of the day, she'd survived another fight, and was one step closer to the showdown match with Leonidus Maximus

* * *

"Another fight, another victory," the Ludus Master stated, as he tossed the bag of silver coins on the table between them. Kallen picked up the bag, hooking it to her belt, as he continued, "Another attempt on your life?"

Kallen nodded, "The one who survived, he called me 'Half-Blood'."

The Ludus Master sank into his chair, "I know who you're insinuating is behind this, but without proof, I can't do anything to stop it."

"Who else is it going to be!?" Kallen snapped angrily

The Ludus Master frowned at that, his hard stare causing Kallen to flinch, head dipping in supplication. "More people than you'd think, and the words 'Half-Blood' don't automatically mean it was Luciano, especially since you haven't really been subtle about your vendetta with your father, Lord Stadtfeld, rumours are powerful things you know."

Kallen looked up sharply, "I haven't said a word about him being my father!"

"No but your actions speak for themselves," the Ludus Master countered, just as sharply, "Picking him out in the crowd, the clearly violent gestures… and let's not forget you both share the same hair colour, even some of his facial features… doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." Kallen shrank back, her cheeks burning at the admonishment, "People may not know _for sure_ , but it does make interesting gossip, and even if it's never confirmed, people are still likely to believe it."

"So, what you're saying, is _I_ did this, I caused the rumours and now my father wants me dead to wipe away the stain," Kallen responded, her voice despondent and hollow

She looked up in surprise when the Ludus Master barked a laugh, "He's wanted you dead the moment he sold you to me." Kallen stared at the man, confusion writ across her face, "When he came to me asking if I'd like to buy a slave, it was with the express knowledge that there was a blood sport event coming up." Kallen's eyes widened, "He sold you to me, expecting to see you get killed in that arena, only you didn't, you survived and have proven yourself a worthy gladiator who is set to make me a fortune."

The man began chortling, shaking his head, "So make all the angry gestures you like at him, it isn't going to change anything, the bastard still wants you dead either way… the only thing I ask of you Kallen, is you keep defying him, by surviving, and winning."

Kallen gained a grim, bloodthirsty smile at those words, that she could certainly do

* * *

The gladiator stared at the blank ochre coloured wall of the Ludus infirmary, with his remaining eye, his hand clenched as the memory stirred once more. The tip of the blade descending towards him, the fountain of pain that erupted from his eye socket, the brief spark of hope as his comrade bore the red-headed bitch to the ground, knife sinking into her shoulder. The cold dash of reality as her blade sliced open his neck, like a fishmonger gutting a fish, the settling fear as the dreaded footsteps reached his bedside

"How hard is it, to kill one red-headed, half-blood bitch?" the voice the man feared most asked

The man took a steadying breath before responding, "We did our best… she was just too strong… too quick… we couldn't…"

The man stilled, his breath hitching as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "Shh, I know you did, I watched the whole thing, and now I have a new task for you."

The one-eyed gladiator now turned his head, his single eye meeting the cold steel gaze of the auburn-haired man standing at his bedside. The one-eyed gladiator swallowed the lump in his throat, "Anything, I'll do anything, just please don't hurt my family."

Luciano Bradley smiled, "Good boy… now listen closely."

* * *

"One more fight and you'll qualify for the showdown match with Leonidus," Tamaki declared, holding a mug of ale aloft in the mess hall

Teal'c raised his own beside her, "To Kallen, the up and coming People's Champion!"

The roomful of gladiators cheered her success, while Kallen's cheeks turned as red as her hair

"And she'll have earned it too, what with all her trips into the slums," Krem added, "I hear someone's been donating a portion of their winnings to the needy," she added with a sly smile

A loud bang signalled Darius' approval, "The gods know she's earned it, did you _see_ that reaction in the arena today, when that scumbag came at her with the knife."

A small mutter of anger swept the room as gladiators cursed the traitorous combatant, before another gladiator, named Lavellen rose, "Kallen's skill with a blade is phenomenal, and I've been training with one since I was a little girl, and yet sometimes, I could barely see her blade, it moved so fast." Another cheer swept the room

Another large gladiator sitting next to Darius rose, pulling off his shirt to reveal a fresh scar, running down the length of his arm, "And I got the scar to prove it!" laughter echoed at that

Kallen was wondering why she was still conscious at this point, all the blood in her body had to be in her cheeks. Then Teal'c stood, "To Kallen, a bright young warrior who's proven time and again, that dedication and determination are the keys to victory and success!"

A final cheer, before they all downed their ale in one go

In the brief period of silence that followed, another voice spoke up, "To the filthy half-blood, who killed my brother."

Ice cascaded down Kallen's spine, as she whirled to face the voice's owner. Luciano had slipped in through the back of the hall, and picked up a mug, now he was leaning against the wooden counter at the back, staring them all down. As the silence thickened, he finished his ale, and put the mug down, "Don't think I haven't noticed all their support towards you… _half-blood_ ," he spat the moniker. "But don't mistake it for friendship or camaraderie, they simply want you to succeed to knock me down a peg or two," Luciano glared at the room with cold grey eyes, "But never forget, my fellow gladiators… who is _king_ in this Ludus."

With that, he pushed off the counter, and walked out, glaring at Kallen the whole way

Only once he was gone, did any sound or warmth return to the room

"Please don't tell me I have to fight _him_ for my qualification match," Kallen breathed

"I doubt it," Lavellen said as she joined Kallen and her friends at their table, "As the arena champion, he gets to pick his fights now, unless a request from the sponsor requires him _specifically_ to be in the arena."

Kallen stared at the door Luciano had left through, and a sudden thought crossed her mind

 _I need to see Lelouch, first thing in the morning_

* * *

"I had absolutely no intention to pit you against Luciano," Lelouch said, as he filed away a report, handing it to Jeremiah who stood attendant beside the Prince. "Though… to be fair, you could take him easy," Lelouch finished, as he sat back to look up at her

"I'm not so sure about that," Kallen replied, "I've yet to see him fight, after all."

"Wasn't he a part of the blood sport game that made you a gladiator?" Jeremiah asked

Kallen nodded, "Yea he was, but I wasn't really paying attention to him then… was kinda focused on not getting killed, and Teal'c and I were up against other people." Kallen paced in front of Lelouch's desk, running a hand through her hair, "I've also been told that Luciano is skilled in several different fighting styles, and never uses the same one twice in a row."

Lelouch mused, hands steepled in front of him, "Add that vendetta he has against you, and I can see why you'd be reluctant to face him right now."

Kallen sighed, "Couldn't have put it better myself," she then turned back to Lelouch, "I'm fully aware I'll have to face him someday, either in the Arena, or outside of it… but I just don't feel ready for that yet."

Lelouch shrugged, "Fair enough," he dismissed Jeremiah, before standing. Once Jeremiah had left, he gestured for Kallen to join him on the balcony. "I wanted to talk about that last fight… specifically what happened at the end," he stated

Kallen took a breath, "I thought you might."

Lelouch turned to her, eyes scrutinising, "Every time I've seen you fight, you've always been so controlled, so precise… apart from one, or should I say _twice_ now."

Kallen wasn't surprised he'd noticed, she looked him in the eye as she spoke. "The Ludus Master called it, _'battle lust'_ , basically… I like fighting, killing," Kallen had to fight to keep eye contact

"I've heard of it, I thought your fight with Crassus might have been a one off… but after seeing it a second time," Lelouch replied

"I can control it," Kallen stated

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, "Yesterday's fight didn't inspire much confidence Kallen."

Kallen looked away, briefly, "With Crassus, I didn't know what was happening… with the last fight… I let it take over, because I knew I'd be able to react faster, move faster, with it." She looked back to Lelouch, his eyebrow was still raised, "And once I was no longer in danger, I pulled on the reins… I assure you, your Highness, I' am in control."

Lelouch continued to scrutinise her, before sighing and shaking his head, "Be sure that you do, because if you ever lost control of something like that, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, it could turn our entire plan on its head."

"I'm aware, don't worry," Kallen replied

Lelouch looked back up at her, "Good." He returned to his desk, shifting through some papers, "Your next fight isn't for another week, so take this time to rest and recuperate, as well as build your image with the people more."

Kallen now chuckled, "That's not an order… that's a hobby," she said, while saluting the Prince, and marching out the door, to do some good in the city

* * *

The next day found Kallen roaming the streets of Pendragon, helping those in need, she helped catch at least three criminals attempting to rob various stores and shops, looked after a group of kids, whose parents were busy working to make ends meet, and made donations to the poor. She was just buying a sweet roll for a little orphan girl, when a familiar voice caught her ear

"Kallen!"

Kallen turned to see Shirley, Nina and Rivalz running up to her

"Heh guys, great to see you again," Kallen called, as she handed the girl her sweet roll. The girl thanked her, huge smile on her face, before running off to share it with her little brother, who was hiding around the corner

"Making new friends I see," Rivalz said slyly

Kallen shrugged, "A silver here or there for the needy isn't going to disrupt my plans for freedom."

"From what we've heard, it sounds like a lot more than a 'silver here or there'," Shirley replied, though her and Nina's smiles told Kallen of their approval

Kallen returned the smiles, "I like to help people, be wrong not to share some of the good fortune I've been receiving."

All three of them smiled at that, before Rivalz spoke up again, "We were just about to go grab some grub, want to join us?"

Kallen's rumbling stomach answered the question for them, and the four of them started off down the street, laughing together. Once again, Kallen enjoyed a carefree afternoon with her friends. It wasn't often she got to do this, since their initial meeting, they'd only hung out together twice before this. Of course, most of their conversation tended towards Kallen's success in the Arena, Rivalz even mocked shouted her Arena name as they enjoyed lunch. After lunch, the three of them agreed to help Kallen with her good deeds for the day, which led them to buying some food, blankets and medicine, before taking the supplies to one of the nearby slums, where Kallen knew a local doctor was trying to help people. The man was a minor noble who ran a clinic on the edge of the market district, he made enough of an income that he was able to provide care to those who couldn't afford his services. Lelouch had actually pointed him out to Kallen, describing him as one of the 'good' nobles, who still upheld the old ideals of the nobility, a man who was an exception to the rule

They were just finishing up, when a gang of thugs entered the slum, armed and looking to cause trouble, as they walked up to the doctor, who had turned to greet them. "Yes, can I help you gentlemen?" the doctor asked

The leader of the thugs drew himself up to the doctor, standing a full head taller than the noble, "Yea, you can tell me why your wasting time on these peasants, when my men need their injuries tending to."

Kallen felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise at his tone, she handed the blankets she was carrying to Shirley, while subtlety moving in the thug's direction. Meanwhile, Nina and Rivalz were moving the younger members of the neighbourhood away from the gang

"Simple… you men are criminals, and your very presence is why this neighbourhood is in the state it is," the doctor then gestured at the people behind him, "These people are innocents who need my help, they are mothers and children, and they get priority." The thug leader scowled at this, but the doctor wasn't done yet, "If we have any supplies left after we're done here, we'll pay your men a visit, but for now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The scowl turned into full blown rage, as the doctor turned around to return to work, before the thug leader reached for a club at his side. Kallen exploded into action, closing the distance, before anyone could react, grabbing the leader's arm and twisting it around. The man cried out in pain, collapsing to his knees, as he stared up at Kallen

"Do you recognise me?" Kallen asked, voice cold as ice

The man's eyes widened as comprehension dawned, his men also took a step back

"Good," Kallen replied from his reaction, "Then might I suggest you take the good doctor's advice and leave, before you join your men in your infirmary."

With that, she released his arm, and dropped him to the ground, the leader took one look at her from the ground, before backpedalling to his feet, and fleeing through his men, who took off after him

"Thank you, Miss Kallen," the doctor said

"No problem," Kallen replied, smile stretching her lips, though it faded as the others returned to work, and she turned back to the alley the thugs had run down. _Why do I feel like we're being watched?_

" _ **Because you are."**_

Kallen started at the sound of the Voice, she'd never heard it so clear outside the Arena before

 _Who are you… what are you?_

" _ **I' am you; you are me; we are one being, one mind, two halves of the same coin."**_

Kallen's mind reeled at that, _what does that mean?_

" _ **You already know the answer to that, Kallen… Know that whenever you need me, I' am here, we are bonded together, if you die, I die, it is within my interests to ensure that you live."**_

Kallen was about to question it more but was shaken from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Nina looking at her worriedly, "Kallen, are you okay?"

Kallen gave her a smile, "Of course Nina, never better."

Nina returned the smile, and got back to helping, while Kallen now scanned their surroundings thoroughly, but if they were being watched, whoever was doing so, was very good. Kallen cast one last look over the buildings surrounding them, before returning to help the doctor with his efforts

* * *

Kallen had just parted company from her friends, and was nearing the Ludus, when half-dozen black clad figures blocked her path. Kallen caught the glint of metal from beneath their cloaks as they encircled her

" _ **Cowards!"**_ growled the Voice, Kallen ignored it, simply slipping into a ready stance

"It didn't end well for the last guys who came at me with knives boys… are you sure you want to do this?" Kallen asked

She received no reply, but she could see several of the half-dozen men shift nervously from foot to foot. Kallen waited patiently for them to make the first move, but none did, they just stood there. Suddenly, a faint whistle caught Kallen's attention, she jerked to the left, feeling feathers brush across her shoulder, before the arrow clattered to the street in front of her. The moment the arrow hit cobbles, the figures exploded towards her, knives drawn. Kallen was unarmed, but that didn't matter, Teal'c had been training her in hand to hand combat for the last week. She flowed around her opponents like water, taking the legs of the first man to reach her, out from under him. The second got a double jab to the chest, just as he raised his knife to strike. He staggered back, clutching his chest, knife dropping from his hands. The third and fourth reached her together, she ducked out of the way, and grabbed both by their cloaks as they sailed over her, before slamming them together. Both collapsed to the cobbles, out cold. The fifth attempted a tackle, but she simply rolled out of the way, she pulled up short in the roll however, and was rewarded with another clatter as a second arrow found the cobbles. The sixth man leapt at her, knife drawn, Kallen dashed forward, now inside of his reach, before delivering a solid punch to his stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. The man collapsed to the ground gasping

By this point, the first man had stood back up, and the second was recovering his knife. Behind her, she heard the fifth charging at her. She ducked his wild knife swing to the back of her neck, swinging her leg out wide as she did so, taking out his legs, and sending him to the cobbles. A sharp jab to his neck left him gasping for breath, and the knife falling from limp fingers. Kallen snatched it smoothly from the air, before sliding to her right, as a third arrow struck the cobbles. In one fluid motion she kicked out her left leg behind her, catching the first man in the chin, and sending him into his compatriot, both tumbling to the cobbles. Then she straightened, pulled her acquired knife back, before letting fly to one of the roofs above her. There was a satisfying cry of pain, as the knife found its mark, before a seventh man came tumbling off the roof, a bow and quiver clattering down after him

Kallen relaxed her stance, turning around to the remaining men, of those who were still conscious, two were desperately trying to get air back into her lungs, and the other two were a tangle of limbs. One even looked like he'd stabbed himself in the leg during the fall and was now clutching the wound. The two of them took one look at her, before scrabbling to their feet and fleeing, as fast as they could. Kallen shook her head, then marched over to the archer. The knife she'd thrown had found his leg as well, being embedded high in his thigh. The man was clutching the wound, before he heard her approach. He quickly attempted to get to his feet, but the injured leg collapsed beneath him, so he settled for dragging himself away, Kallen was fairly certain she could hear him whimpering

" _ **Yes, finish him off, kill the coward, tear his throat out!"**_

Kallen's hands twitched, she liked the sound of that, she _really_ liked the sound of that, but she forced the urge down, opting instead, to put her foot on his cloak, trapping him. The man let out a choked sob, as Kallen grabbed a torch from a nearby wall, before reaching down, and pulling the hood off, and was greeted by the gladiator she had fought in the Arena just yesterday, an eye-patch covering the eye she'd taken out during the fight

For a moment, everything was silent, the two of them just staring at each other

Then the man began to yell

"HELP, HELP ME, I'M BEING ATTACKED, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Kallen reeled back at his yell, stunned for a moment, _what the hell is he thinking?_

Then the sound of boots tramping down the street reached her ears

" _ **Run you fool, run before they catch you!"**_

Kallen was tempted to listen, this was just the thing Lelouch had told her to avoid, but before she had the chance to make the decision, a voice caught her attention

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Kallen turned around, and found herself face to face, with the Captain of the City Guard

 _Oh brilliant_

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for today dear Readers, hope you all enjoyed, once again, I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you all a Happy New Year**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in your reviews, as always, constructive criticism is welcome, and I shall see you all next time ; )**


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